Calls on WhatsApp are now for everyone, even those who don’t have a WhatsApp account. Meta has recently introduced ‘guest calls’, free and end-to-end encrypted for everyone and without time limits. Translated: there will be no interruption (the session can last forever), and it will therefore not be necessary to restart the call and wait for all the users involved to reconnect.
Chat on WhatsApp without time limit and ‘incognito’
The user who initiates the call must necessarily have a WhatsApp account, but all the other interlocutors – up to a maximum of 32 at the same time – can be invited ‘incognito’ via a link: once clicked, you enter the virtual waiting room, awaiting confirmation from the organizer of the video chat. With this mode, all guest users cannot see other participants’ phone numbers, send messages, or add someone else directly to the call.
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WhatsApp, how to open a ‘guest call’
But how do you proceed to invite guest users? Access the ‘Calls’ tab in WhatsApp, select the ‘+’ icon, create a link to the call and send it to the people you want to talk to, whether they are colleagues, classmates or tutors. Guests can open the link in their computer browser, type their name, and join individual and group calls. Guests can use the same essential features as the call, like sharing their computer screen to collaborate and review materials, react with a thumbs up or a heart emoji, or raise their hand to chime in.
Meta also announced other news: By the end of the year, in fact, it will implement new integrations to be able to create a WhatsApp call directly from the Google or Outlook calendar, via an ad hoc WhatsApp plug-in.