WhatsApp now lets anyone join a call from a browser, no account needed

It starts with a link. You make it, you send it, and the other person clicks it.

Here are the steps WhatsApp describes:

• Step 1: Open the Calls tab in WhatsApp.
• Step 2: Tap the "+" icon and create a call link.
• Step 3: Send the link to whoever you want on the call, by text, email or any other app.
• Step 4: The guest opens it in a computer browser and types in a name.
• Step 5: The guest waits until you let them in.

That's it. The guest doesn't install anything or make an account. WhatsApp's own examples are colleagues, classmates and a tutor: the people you need to talk to, whatever apps they happen to use.

There is one rule on the other side. Only people with a WhatsApp account can create a call link. Engadget points out that guests can't start a call themselves. They can only accept invitations.

You do. WhatsApp says anyone joining as a guest always needs the host's approval.

Guests land in a waiting room first. They stay there until the host lets them in. The host can also remove a guest at any moment during the call.

WABetaInfo, which reported on the feature while it was still in development, explained why approval is mandatory. WhatsApp can't verify who a guest is, because there's no account behind them. Anyone holding the link could try to join. So the host has to approve every guest, and that rule can't be switched off.

In real life You're planning a surprise party over a video call. Your cousin uses WhatsApp, your friend from work doesn't. You send one link to both. Your friend clicks it on a laptop, types "Sam," and pops up in your waiting room. You tap to let Sam in. Nobody had to install anything.

Guests get the basics. WhatsApp lists these tools:

• Screen sharing: a guest can share their computer screen to review documents or slides together.
• Reactions: a thumbs up or a heart emoji.
• Raise hand: a quick way to say "I'd like to speak" without talking over anyone.

And here's what a guest can't do:

• No phone numbers: guests can't see the other participants' phone numbers.
• No messages: guests can't send chat messages.
• No inviting: guests can't add anyone else directly to the call.

Why it matters: this keeps your phone number private from people who aren't in your contacts. A tutor, a client or a stranger from a community group can join your call without ever learning your number.

Yes and yes, according to WhatsApp.

The company says guest calls are free, end-to-end encrypted and have no time limits. In its words, there are "no abrupt cutoffs, scrambling to restart the call, or waiting for everyone to rejoin." One-on-one calls and group calls with up to 32 people are both supported.

End-to-end encryption means only the people on the call can hear or see what's said. WhatsApp itself can't listen in.

So how does encryption work for someone with no account? WABetaInfo described the method when the feature was in testing. When a guest opens the link, WhatsApp Web creates a unique identifier for that browser session. WhatsApp uses it to build the encryption key. The browser session is enough, so no account is needed.

Think of it like a hotel key card. You don't need to own the building to open your room. The front desk makes you a card that works for your stay, and only your stay.

It did, and both MacRumors and Engadget point that out. Apple started letting people join FaceTime calls with a link back in iOS 15, including people who don't use Apple devices.

With guest calling, WhatsApp now has a similar door for outsiders. The person you're calling no longer has to be on the same app as you.

WhatsApp has also been building toward this for a while:

• Guest chats: 9to5Mac reported in March that WhatsApp was testing text chats with people who don't have accounts. The feature first showed up for Android beta testers in August 2025, then reached some iOS and web testers. At that stage, guest chats didn't support calls.
• Guest calls in testing: WABetaInfo then spotted guest calls in development, built on the same technology as guest chats.
• Launch: WhatsApp turned guest calling on for everyone on Wednesday.

9to5Mac also noted a likely reason behind features like these. WhatsApp remains less popular in markets such as the United States than it is in many other countries. Letting non-users drop into a call is an easy way to show them the app without asking them to sign up first.

Calendar invites. WhatsApp says it will roll out calendar integrations later this year for Google Calendar and Outlook.

Here's how it will work. You install a WhatsApp plugin, connect your account, and add a WhatsApp call link to a calendar invite. Everyone you invite can join, with or without a WhatsApp account.

The big picture: this is one of several calling updates WhatsApp has shipped this year. Engadget lists a few others from 2026:

• Usernames: you can keep your phone number private.
• Encrypted web calls: calls from WhatsApp on the web are protected too.
• iPad sign-ups: you can create an account on an iPad.

Engadget also reports that WhatsApp may add an option to schedule messages in advance. WhatsApp hasn't announced a date for that.

For more on WhatsApp's recent privacy changes, see our story on WhatsApp's new parental controls for teens.

A few things to keep in mind before you send that link:

• Computer browser: WhatsApp's announcement describes guests joining from a computer browser. It doesn't mention guests joining from a phone browser.
• Host account required: someone on the call needs a WhatsApp account to create the link.
• You're the gatekeeper: a forwarded link can reach people you didn't plan to invite. The waiting room protects you, but only if you check who's knocking before you let them in.
• Calendar plugins: not available yet, just "later this year."

The catch: a link is easy to share, which is the whole point, and also the thing to watch. Only send call links to people you trust, and glance at the names in your waiting room.

• No more "download the app first": if you use WhatsApp, you can now call anyone with a computer and a browser.
• Your number stays private: guests can't see participants' phone numbers, so it's safer to call people outside your contacts.
• You control the door: every guest waits for your approval, and you can remove anyone at any time.
• Work calls get easier: screen sharing, no time limit and up to 32 people make it usable for study groups and small meetings.