Would you chat on WhatsApp… without having WhatsApp?
That’s the direction Meta is taking. WhatsApp is testing a new “guest chat” feature that lets people who don’t have the app, and don’t even have an account, chat with WhatsApp users. No install, no registration. Just a browser link, and you’re in.
The feature is still in beta, but we already have a good idea of how it works. A WhatsApp user sends you a special invitation link. You tap it, and boom, a one-on-one chat opens in your web browser.
You can send and receive texts instantly. No data is stored, and the whole session is end-to-end encrypted. Once the chat ends, it disappears.
There’s no media support yet, no voice notes, photos, GIFs, or calls. Just plain text. Think of it as WhatsApp Lite Lite.
Why is Meta doing this?
The obvious answer: to grow WhatsApp’s user base. Meta wants to remove every excuse you’ve got for not using WhatsApp. Don’t want to install it? Cool, here’s a link. Don’t want to give your phone number? No problem, just use guest mode.
Still, even if this is just a clever business tactic, the feature has real-world potential. Especially in Zimbabwe, where WhatsApp is the default communication platform for everything from job applications to tomato orders.
When one-time chats make sense
Let’s say you’re hosting a conference or workshop. Or you’re running a giveaway. Maybe you’re at a service desk at a trade show. There will always be people who need to reach out with a quick question, but don’t want to save your number or be added to a group they’ll regret joining.
Instead of printing a phone number or telling people to “WhatsApp us,” you just share a guest chat link.
- People can click it and message you right away.
- They don’t need to have WhatsApp installed.
- They don’t need to register an account.
- They don’t have to commit to any kind of ongoing relationship.
This could work for:
- Event coordination
- Anonymous customer support
- Short-term helplines (e.g. during disasters or power cuts)
- Internal feedback collection in large organisations
It removes the friction of saving a number or worrying about future spam. It’s quick, direct, and respects users’ privacy.
What about protecting your own number?
I hoped this feature would also allow WhatsApp users to chat without revealing their own number, kind of like a temporary username.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
If you generate the guest chat link, then you are the known party. The guest, who doesn’t have WhatsApp, enters a chat where your WhatsApp profile and number are likely visible, just as they would be in a normal wa.me link chat. So this isn’t the tool for anonymity from your end.
Now, if WhatsApp ever flips it, letting guests initiate chats and you, the account-holder, remain partially anonymous, then we’re talking.
That would be huge for classifieds, customer queries, and marketplace deals where you don’t want to give out your number straight away.
But as it stands, the WhatsApp user who initiates the guest chat doesn’t get anonymity.
When is it launching?
There’s no official release date yet. The feature was spotted in Android beta version 2.25.22.13 and is still under testing.
It currently supports:
- One-on-one chats only
- Text messages only
- No media, voice notes, calls, or groups
But even in this form, it’s interesting. A chat app without the app? That’s something I can get behind.
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