WhatsApp Opens Voice and Video Calls to Guests Without Accounts
WhatsApp has introduced a guest-calling feature that lets people without accounts join voice and video calls through shared links, the company said.
The feature supports one-to-one and group calls with up to 32 participants. Guests can join through a computer browser by entering their names, but must wait for the host’s approval. WhatsApp says calls are free, end-to-end encrypted, and have no time limits.
Hosts can remove participants at any time. Guests cannot view other participants’ phone numbers, send WhatsApp messages or invite others directly.
To start a guest call, account holders can open the Calls tab, tap the plus icon and generate a link to share with invitees. Guests can also use in-call tools, including screen sharing, reactions and a hand-raising feature.
WhatsApp said it plans to add integrations with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook later this year, allowing users to create call links through calendar invitations. The integrations will require users to install a WhatsApp plug-in and connect their accounts, while invitees will be able to join with or without a WhatsApp account.
