WhatsApp is adding more flexibility for talking to people who aren't regular users of its service. The Meta-owned company has announced the addition of a feature dubbed guest calling. With this option, somebody can join a call even if they don't have a WhatsApp account.

The guest calling support mirrors the little-known option to join a FaceTime call without an Apple account or device. Like that feature, there are some restrictions for participating in a WhatsApp call via the guest method. Guests cannot start a call; they can only receive and accept invitations. They'll also have to be approved by the call host before they can join. A guest will not be able to view other users' phone numbers, send messages or add more members to the call. However, they will be able to join either 1:1 or group calls from a browser, and once approved, guests will be able to use core tools such as screen sharing, raising their hand, and reacting with the thumbs up and heart emojis. Guests also won't have any time limits placed on their participation in a call. 

The company noted that it plans to further facilitate collaboration with the future rollout of a plugin for calendar integrations. Once launched "later this year," the plugin will allow WhatApp calls can be created from Google or Outlook calendars.

WhatsApp has kept a brisk pace with feature updates this year, many of them aimed at making the service more accessible, secure and appealing for business users. The addition of usernames allowed people to keep their phone numbers private, while more incremental adds from 2026 include encrypted web calls and account signups via iPad. The service may also offer a much-requested option to schedule messages in advance.