WhatsApp Lets Non-Users Join Calls as Guests

WhatsApp has introduced a feature it calls guest calling, which allows people who do not have a WhatsApp account to join a call. The Meta-owned service announced the addition, according to Engadget.

The option resembles Apple's lesser-known ability to let people without an Apple account or device join a FaceTime call, Engadget noted. As with that feature, WhatsApp's guest method comes with restrictions.

Guests cannot initiate a call. They can only receive and accept invitations, and they must be approved by the call host before joining. Once in, a guest cannot see other participants' phone numbers, send messages, or add more people to the call.

Approved guests can join one-on-one or group calls from a browser. They can use what Engadget described as core tools: screen sharing, raising a hand, and reacting with thumbs-up and heart emojis. There are no time limits on how long a guest may stay in a call.

WhatsApp also said it is working on a calendar integration plugin. Expected later this year, the plugin will allow WhatsApp calls to be created from Google or Outlook calendars, per the company.

Put together, the guest feature and the planned calendar tool point to an effort to make WhatsApp calls easier to arrange with people outside its regular user base. For everyday users, the practical change is that a colleague, client, or acquaintance who lacks WhatsApp can still take part in a call through a browser link, provided the host admits them. The restrictions suggest the company is trying to widen access without granting guests the same visibility or controls as account holders.

WhatsApp has released a number of updates this year, many focused on accessibility, security, and business appeal. Engadget cited the introduction of usernames, which lets people keep their phone numbers private, and more incremental additions in 2026 such as encrypted web calls and account signups via iPad. The service may also add a much-requested option to schedule messages in advance.

That broader pattern matters when judging the guest calling feature. WhatsApp is not redesigning its calling product around guests. Instead, it is adding a narrower path for outsiders to participate under host control. The calendar plugin, if it arrives as described, would address a separate friction point: setting up calls in the first place. Neither development changes the core requirement that regular participants use WhatsApp accounts.

For now, the confirmed details are limited to what WhatsApp has announced: guest access to calls with host approval, browser participation in 1:1 or group calls, a restricted set of in-call tools, no time limit, and a calendar integration planned for later this year. Engadget's report did not include a specific launch date for guest calling or a precise release window beyond "later this year" for the calendar plugin.

Who should consider using it? The feature is aimed at situations where one or more participants are not WhatsApp users but still need to join a call, such as a client, a colleague, or a contact who prefers a browser. Existing WhatsApp users do not need to change anything to keep making calls as before. The guest option is an addition, not a replacement, and the host retains control over who gets in. That makes it less of a general upgrade and more of a targeted convenience for mixed groups.