WhatsApp has officially rolled out guest calling, a feature that lets users invite anyone to join a WhatsApp call, even if they don't have a WhatsApp account. The move positions the app as a direct competitor to Zoom and Google Meet.
According to WhatsApp, guests must always be approved by the call host before joining, whether it is a one-on-one call or a group call with up to 32 participants. Guests enter a waiting room before being admitted, and hosts can remove them at any time. Guests cannot see other participants' phone numbers, send messages, or invite additional people. Still, guest calling supports screen sharing, hand-raising, and emoji-based reactions, and guests can join directly from a computer browser without installing the app.
To start a call, users navigate to the Calls tab, select the "+" icon, create a call link, and send it to the people they want to talk to, such as colleagues, classmates, or tutors, regardless of what apps those people use. The launch follows WhatsApp's earlier testing of a similar feature for text conversations, which did not support voice or video calls at the time.
WhatsApp is also working on integrations with Google Calendar and Outlook. These will let users create WhatsApp call links directly from their calendars and add them to event invitations. The integration will require a WhatsApp plugin and is expected to launch later this year.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing