WhatsApp calls no longer require everyone on the line to have a WhatsApp account. A host can now send a call link that guests open in a desktop browser, and the host decides who gets in.
Per Meta, a host creates the link from the Calls tab by tapping the plus icon, and only people with a WhatsApp account can do that. Guests type in a name, wait in a lobby and join once the host admits them. Calls can be one-on-one or group, capped at 32 people, and a host can remove a guest at any point.
WhatsApp guests get a trimmed feature set. Meta says they cannot see other participants' phone numbers, send messages or add anyone to the call, though they can share a computer screen, react with a thumbs up or heart, and raise a hand. WhatsApp describes the calls as free, end-to-end encrypted and without a time limit.
The change follows WhatsApp Web Calling, which Meta introduced in July. The detail worth watching is the browser requirement. Meta's description covers computer browsers only and does not say whether guests can join from a phone's browser, which would matter for the many people who use WhatsApp mainly on mobile.
Calendar support is next. Later this year, WhatsApp plans to roll out a plugin for Google and Outlook calendars that adds a call link to an invite, and Meta says invitees will be able to join with or without a WhatsApp account. Meta has not given a date. Until the Google and Outlook plugin arrives, WhatsApp guest calling suits ad hoc calls with a tutor, a client or a relative more than scheduled meetings.
