WhatsApp announced guest calling on October 14. A WhatsApp user can now send a call link to someone who doesn’t have WhatsApp. That person joins from a computer browser after the host lets them in. WhatsApp’s examples are colleagues, classmates, and tutors, and the post says hosts don’t have to worry about which apps those people use.
Guests need only a link and a browser
Only people with a WhatsApp account can create a call link, so the host must have one. The host does three things:
- Opens the Calls tab and taps the + icon.
- Creates a call link and sends it.
- Admits the guest from the waiting room.
Guests type a name and wait until the host lets them in. The host can remove a guest at any time. The call-link panel in WhatsApp’s announcement artwork warns that anyone with the link can use it, so share it only with people you trust.
Apple’s FaceTime follows a similar pattern for Android and Windows users. The Apple user creates the link, and the guest joins in Chrome or Edge without being able to start a call. The setup is in how to use FaceTime on Android or PC.
Guests can share their screen but can’t invite others
Guests can share their computer screen to review materials, react with a thumbs up or heart, and raise a hand. They can’t see other participants’ phone numbers or send messages. They also can’t add anyone to the call directly.
Calls have no time limit and a 32-person cap
WhatsApp describes guest calls as free, end-to-end encrypted, and without time limits. That means no abrupt cutoffs, so nobody has to restart the call or wait for everyone to rejoin. One-to-one and group calls can include up to 32 people once the host admits them. A study group or a small team fits under that cap. Regular WhatsApp group calls also top out at 32 people, and how to make audio and video WhatsApp calls on iPhone, Mac, and web covers the group steps.
Zoom’s free Basic plan allows 100 people per meeting but caps each meeting at 40 minutes, according to Zoom’s pricing page. For a long call with up to 32 people, WhatsApp removes that limit. For 33 to 100 people, WhatsApp can’t hold the call, and Zoom’s free plan can.
Some coverage frames the launch as a challenge to Zoom and Google Meet. WhatsApp’s post names neither service, so this article compares only Zoom.
Calendar links are due later this year
WhatsApp plans calendar integrations for Google Calendar and Outlook later this year. Users will install a WhatsApp plugin, connect their account, and add a call link to an invite. Invitees can join with or without a WhatsApp account. Until those integrations launch, the call link has to go into the invite by hand. iPhone users can already schedule a WhatsApp call from the iPhone Calendar app.
Countries and phone access are still unclear
WhatsApp’s post doesn’t name the countries where guest calling is available. It also doesn’t say whether every account has the option yet. It describes guests joining from a computer browser and doesn’t say how a guest on a phone would join.
