WhatsApp Guest Calling: Invite Anyone to a Call, No Account Needed

WhatsApp calls just stopped being members-only. In an October 14, 2026 blog post, WhatsApp introduced guest calling: you can invite anyone to a WhatsApp call, even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account. WhatsApp says the calls are free, end-to-end encrypted and have no time limit.

How to start a guest call

1. Open the Calls tab in WhatsApp and tap the “+” icon.
2. Create a call link and send it to the people you want — colleagues, classmates, a tutor.
3. Guests open the link in their computer browser, type their name and wait in a waiting room.
4. You admit them, and the call starts: 1:1 or group, with up to 32 people.

Only people with a WhatsApp account can create a call link.

What guests can and can’t do

• Can: share their computer screen, react with a thumbs-up or heart, raise their hand.
• Can’t: see other participants’ phone numbers, send messages, or add anyone else to the call. The host can remove them at any time.

As Engadget notes, guests can only accept invitations, not start calls — similar to joining a FaceTime call from the web without an Apple device.

Calendar plugin later this year

WhatsApp also says that later this year it will release calendar integrations: install a WhatsApp plugin for Google Calendar or Outlook, connect your account and add a WhatsApp call link to any invite. Everyone invited will be able to join, with or without an account.

Rocks take

This makes WhatsApp a real alternative to Zoom or Meet links for quick calls with people outside your contacts — a client, a tradesperson, a relative who refuses to install yet another app. The 32-person cap, the waiting room and hidden phone numbers make it sensible for small groups. WhatsApp didn’t give a country-by-country schedule, so if the option isn’t in your Calls tab yet, update the app and check again in a few days.