WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Meta, has launched guest calling, which lets people join a WhatsApp call without having an account. WhatsApp announced the feature on its blog on 14 October 2026. It said the calls are free, end-to-end encrypted, and have “no time limits”.
How it works
To start, a WhatsApp user goes to the Calls tab, taps the “+” icon, creates a call link and sends it to the people they want to talk to. Only people with a WhatsApp account can create a link.
Guests open the link in a browser on their computer, type in their name, and wait to be let in. According to WhatsApp, calls can include “up to 32 people once admitted by the host.” Guests can share their screen, react with emoji and raise their hand.
Privacy controls
WhatsApp said that “anyone joining as a guest always needs the call host’s approval.” Guests wait in a waiting room until the host lets them in, and the host can remove them at any time. Guests “can’t see other participants’ phone numbers, send messages, or add anyone else directly to the call.”
WhatsApp also said that “later this year” it will add plugins for Google and Outlook calendars, so users can add a WhatsApp call link to a meeting invite.
What this means
- WhatsApp takes on Zoom and Meet. Anyone with a link can now join, so it works for meetings.
- Privacy is built in. Calls are encrypted, and guests can’t see phone numbers.
- Computers only, for now. Guests join from a computer browser, not a phone.
Sources
- WhatsApp Blog, “Now You Can Invite Anyone to a WhatsApp Call: No Account Needed, No Cost, No Time Limit”, 14 October 2026. https://blog.whatsapp.com/now-you-can-invite-anyone-to-a-whatsapp-call-no-account-needed-no-cost-no-time-limit
