WhatsApp takes on Zoom and Teams with Guest Calling: Step-by-Step Guide

WhatsApp’s new Guest Calling feature lets users invite non users to free, time-unlimited voice and video calls. It's rolling out to all users globally.

WhatsApp today announced a new feature called 'Guest Calling' that will make it easier for users to get into group and one-on-one calls with almost anyone. This includes people those who don't have a WhatsApp account. This announcement comes shortly after the company introduced calling features such as web calling and call transfer earlier this year. Here's everything you need to know about WhatsApp's new Guest Calling feature.

WhatsApp gets Guest Calling

WhatsApp gets a new guest calling feature. (WhatsApp)

By Shweta Ganjoo

Shweta Ganjoo is a Chief Content Producer at HT Tech. She has over 10 years of experience covering technology, during which time she has focused on consumer tech devices, AI, social media, gadgets, and tech policy, delivering authoritative and reader-focused insights across India’s fast-evolving digital ecosystem.

She began her career in the early 2010s, building a strong foundation in digital-first reporting as India’s tech landscape rapidly expanded. Over the years, she has worked with leading media organizations including India Today Tech, Indian Express Group, and Techlusive, where she played a key role in scaling editorial content and audience engagement. At HT Tech, she drives product recommendation coverage, combining newsroom leadership with hands-on reporting experience.

Her expertise spans smartphones, wearables, smart home devices, AI, and social media ecosystems, along with regulatory developments shaping the tech industry. Shweta is known for her analytical approach to product reviews and news coverage, grounded in hands-on testing and real-world usability. She has conducted industry interviews, tracked emerging tech trends, and produced research-backed stories using verified sources and expert inputs. She holds a masters in Mass Communication, which complements her professional experience in digital journalism and content strategy, and aligns with her academic background in technology. Shweta follows a reader-first editorial philosophy, prioritising accuracy, transparency, and fact-checked reporting to deliver reliable, insightful, and practical insights.

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As mentioned before, WhatsApp's Guest Calling feature lets users invite participants, even those who aren't using its platform, - to join a WhatsApp call. These calls are free for everyone with no usage time limits, which prevents abrupt cutoffs.

WhatsApp says that while anyone can join a call, the call can be started only by a WhatsApp user and that a guest will always need the host's approval to join a call. When a guest joins a call, they will first enter a waiting room and stay there until the host lets them in. Additionally, the company says that any guest can be removed from the call at any time. This feature works in a way that is similar to some of more popular conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.

To maintain privacy, the Meta-owned messaging app will cover these calls with end-to-end encryption and prevent guests from seeing other participants’ phone numbers. It will also prevent guests from sending messages, or adding anyone else directly to the call.

Despite these restrictions, guests will be able to use features such as sharing their computer screens to collaborate and review materials, reacting with a thumbs up or heart emoji, or raising their hand to jump in. Furthermore, the company says that the Guest Calling feature will support both one-on-one calls and group calls with up to 32 members.

Later this year, the company plans to roll out support for Google Calendar and Outlook calendar via plugins to WhatsApp, which would take the messaging and calling app a step closer to the existing conferencing platforms.

Availability

Step 1: Update WhatsApp on your smartphone and WhatsApp Web.

Step 2: Open WhatsApp on your preferred medium (smartphone or laptop).

Step 3: Go to the Calls tab.

Step 4: Tap the Plus icon on the top.

Step 5: Tap the New Call Link feature.

Step 6: Select your call type - Video or Voice.

Step 7: Toggle the Require Approval to Join button to enable a waiting room for people to join the call.

Step 8: Tap the Copy Link option and then select either Send Link via WhatsApp or Share Link to share it in another app.

Step 9: To schedule this call for a later time, tap the Add to Calendar option and then fill out other details to complete the process.

It is worth mentioning that a shared link will expire if it remains unused for 30 days.