WhatsApp now lets account holders invite people without WhatsApp to voice or video calls with a link, so you can reach a client or relative with no setup.
WhatsApp now lets anyone join a call without having a WhatsApp account. A person who does have an account creates a call link and sends it. The guest opens the link, types a name and waits to be let in. The feature works for one-on-one calls and for groups of up to 32 people.
Until now, calling on WhatsApp meant both sides needed the app and an account. WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has opened its calling to non-users for the first time. The calls are free and end-to-end encrypted, which means only the people on the call can hear it. WhatsApp says there are no arbitrary time limits, so calls should not cut off suddenly.
Guests do not get free rein. Everyone who joins as a guest needs the host's approval and sits in a waiting room until the host lets them in. The host can remove a guest at any time.
Only people with an active WhatsApp account can create the links. Open the Calls tab in the app, tap the plus icon and choose the option to create a call link. Then send the link by any messaging or email service. The guest opens it in a browser on their computer, enters a name and waits for the host to admit them.
The change helps anyone who wants to reach people outside WhatsApp. WhatsApp's own examples include coworkers, tutors, classmates and family members. A small business could call a client, or a parent could speak with a teacher, without asking either to install anything first.
WhatsApp says Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook support will arrive before the end of the year. Hosts will install a WhatsApp plugin, link their account and attach a call link to a calendar invite. People who receive the invite will be able to join the scheduled meeting from the link, with or without a WhatsApp account. The source describes guests joining from a computer browser. It does not say whether joining from a phone browser works.
To call someone without WhatsApp, create a call link in the Calls tab, send it, and admit them from the waiting room.
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