WhatsApp has introduced guest calling today, letting people without an account take part in calls through a computer browser. The feature accommodates conversations between two people and groups of up to 32 participants, without charging for calls or imposing a time limit. Meta says calls that include guests have end-to-end encryption, extending that protection to participants joining without a WhatsApp account.
The account requirement remains for the person creating the invitation: only a registered WhatsApp user can generate a call link. Every guest must receive approval from the host before entering, and the host can remove them at any point in the conversation. Before that approval, guests remain in a waiting room rather than entering the call directly when they open their invitation.
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To invite someone, the account holder opens WhatsApp’s Calls tab and taps the plus icon to generate a link that can then be sent to prospective participants. The recipient opens that invitation in a browser on their computer and supplies a name before seeking admission to the conversation. Meta presents the feature as a way to arrange calls with classmates, colleagues or a tutor regardless of whether those people have WhatsApp accounts.
Guest access also comes with limits on what participants can see and do beyond speaking in the call. Guests cannot view the phone numbers belonging to other people in the conversation, and they cannot send messages. They also lack the ability to bring another person directly into the call themselves, while the host retains control over guest admission.
During a call, guests can share the screen of their computer to work together or go through materials with other participants. They can also respond using emoji reactions, including a heart, without needing to send a message. A hand-raising feature gives guests another way to signal that they want to speak during the conversation.
Meta plans to add integrations for Google and Outlook calendars later this year, allowing users to arrange WhatsApp calls from those calendars. The planned setup involves installing a WhatsApp plugin and linking an account before putting a call link into a calendar invitation. Meta says invitees will be able to participate whether they have a WhatsApp account or use guest access.
