WhatsApp enables call access for users without accounts

Meta has updated WhatsApp to allow individuals without a WhatsApp account to join audio and video calls via a link through a computer web browser. This feature removes the requirement for a phone number or an existing account to participate in a conversation.

To use this feature, an organizer creates a link through the Calls tab. Guests can then open the link in a browser, enter their name, and wait in a lobby for the organizer to grant them entry. The update supports both one-to-one and group calls with a maximum of 32 participants. While guests can use core features such as screen sharing, emoji reactions, and hand-raising buttons, they cannot start calls, send text messages, add new participants, or view the phone numbers of others.

Calls remain end-to-end encrypted and do not have a time limit. This move positions WhatsApp more closely to videoconferencing platforms like Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.