WhatsApp now lets you invite people without a WhatsApp account to a call. It is free, encrypted and has no time limit, but you have to let guests in.
WhatsApp has added guest calling. You can now invite someone to a call even if they do not have a WhatsApp account. The calls are free, end-to-end encrypted and have no time limit, according to WhatsApp. For anyone who talks with clients, suppliers or partners, it removes a common hurdle: the other person no longer needs to install anything first.
Open the Calls tab in WhatsApp and tap the plus icon to create a call link. Then send that link to anyone, whatever apps they use. End-to-end encryption means only the people on the call can hear it, not WhatsApp or anyone in between.
Guests do not go straight in. They land in a waiting room until the host lets them join. WhatsApp said it wants calling to work "wherever you are and with whoever you need, with the privacy you can count on."
Guests also cannot add other people to the call without permission. That keeps the host in charge of who is there.
The waiting room is a safeguard, but it takes attention. If the host is not watching, a guest can be left waiting and the call starts late. The article also notes that teams may need a little training to use the feature well.
It is also not a replacement for project management or team collaboration tools. Those offer more ways to organize work than a call link does.
WhatsApp plans to add calendar tools for Google and Outlook later this year. Users will install a WhatsApp plugin and schedule calls from calendar invites. Everyone invited could then join, with or without a WhatsApp account.
The material does not say exactly when guest calling reaches every user, or how guests join on their own device. Those details are worth checking in WhatsApp's official announcement.
To call someone without WhatsApp, create a link in the Calls tab, send it, and stay ready to let them in from the waiting room.
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