WhatsApp adds guest option to join calls without an account
It’s also working on calendar integrations for later this year.
WhatsApp is adding more flexibility to talk to people who aren’t regular users of its service. The Meta-owned company announced the addition of a feature called guest calling. With this option, someone can join a call even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account.
Support for guest calls mirrors the little-known option to join a FaceTime call without an Apple account or device. Like this feature, there are some restrictions to join a WhatsApp call via the guest method. Guests cannot start a call; they can only receive and accept invitations. They will also need to be approved by the call host before they can join. A guest will not be able to see other users’ phone numbers, send messages, or add other members to the call. However, they will be able to join 1:1 or group calls from a browser, and once approved, guests will be able to use basic tools such as screen sharing, raising their hand and reacting with thumbs-up and heart emojis. Guests will also not have a time limit on their participation in a call.
The company said it plans to make collaboration even easier with the future rollout of a plugin for calendar integrations. Once launched “later this year”, the plugin will allow WhatApp calls to be created from Google or Outlook calendars.
WhatsApp has maintained a brisk pace with feature updates this year, most of them aimed at making the service more accessible, more secure and more attractive to business users. The addition of usernames allowed users to keep their phone numbers private, while more gradual additions starting in 2026 include encrypted web calls and account registrations via iPad. The service may also offer a much-requested option to schedule messages in advance.
