WhatsApp now lets anyone join a call from a link in a computer browser, with no account and no app. Hosts approve each guest. What guests can do, what they can't, and how it compares with free Zoom and Google Meet.
You no longer need WhatsApp to join a WhatsApp call. On October 14, WhatsApp announced guest calling on its blog. Anyone with an account can create a call link. Anyone without one can open that link in a computer browser, type a name and join.
WhatsApp says the calls are free, end-to-end encrypted and have no time limit. Guests can join one-on-one calls and group calls of up to 32 people. WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp test builds, spotted the feature in testing in September and reports the rollout is gradual, so some accounts don’t have it yet. Canaltech covered the launch the same day for Brazilian readers and described it as global.
How it works
The host opens the Calls tab, taps the “+” icon and creates a call link. Only people with a WhatsApp account can create one, and WABetaInfo says hosts need the latest Android or iOS app.
Guests open the link, enter a name and land in a waiting room. The host admits each guest and can remove one at any time.
What guests can and can’t do
| Guests can | Guests can’t |
|---|---|
| Join 1:1 and group calls of up to 32 people | See other participants’ phone numbers |
| Share their computer screen | Send messages during the call |
| React with a thumbs up or heart | Add other people to the call |
| Raise a hand | Create call links of their own |
How it compares with the free tiers you already know
| Free option | Time limit on group calls | Most people per call |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp call link | None, per WhatsApp | 32 |
| Google Meet, personal account | 60 minutes | 100 |
| Zoom Basic | 40 minutes | 100 |
The Meet and Zoom figures are their current free-tier limits. Paid plans on both remove the cap.
What isn’t answered yet
WhatsApp’s post says guests join from a computer browser. It doesn’t say whether a phone browser works. It names no countries for the rollout and gives no date for full availability. It doesn’t mention call recording or any admin controls for companies.
WhatsApp also says Google Calendar and Outlook plugins are coming later this year. They would add a WhatsApp call link to a calendar invite, the way Meet and Zoom links work today.
What it means if you run a remote team
In Brazil and across Latin America, clients, suppliers and contractors already talk to you on WhatsApp. Until now, a call with someone outside that circle, like a US client on Slack and Zoom, meant moving to another app. Now you can send one link from the chat where the conversation already lives, and the other side joins from a laptop with nothing to install.
It won’t replace your meeting platform. The cap is 32 people, nothing in the announcement covers recording or transcripts, and the link comes from someone’s personal WhatsApp account. That account sits outside your company’s admin controls, data retention rules and vendor review. Use it for quick external calls. Keep board meetings, sales calls you record and anything regulated on the tools IT manages.
Treat the link like a door key. The waiting room helps, but anyone holding the link can knock. Create a fresh link per meeting and don’t post links in public channels.
Guests join from a browser, so the laptop’s microphone does the talking. If you take client calls that way, a better mic matters more than the app. Our guide to microphones for video calls covers desk mics like the HyperX SoloCast, and our earbuds guide covers calls away from the desk.