WhatsApp Guest Chats Update: WhatsApp is introducing a new feature, which is currently under beta testing, which will allow users to send messages to people who are not yet on the instant messaging app or do not have a WhatsApp account. The company is calling it 'Guest Chats', and it allows people, through a secure web link, to join the conversation without the need to create a WhatsApp account for that specific purpose.
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These guest chats are expected to rely on a unique identifier to generate an encryption key. This would allow the conversation to remain end-to-end encrypted, similar to how WhatsApp protects regular chats between registered users.
How WhatsApp’s Guest Chats Feature Could Work
According to a report by WABetaInfo, the Guest Chat feature is currently accessible to some Android and iOS users through the latest beta version of WhatsApp. The idea behind the feature is fairly simple. Instead of asking someone to create a full WhatsApp account, the app can generate a temporary guest session that allows basic messaging inside a specific chat.
WhatsApp will reportedly let guest users join a conversation through a shared link or invitation. Once they open the link and enter the chat, they can send and receive messages in that thread without signing up for an account. To avoid confusion, chats that include these temporary users will carry a “Guest” label so that others in the conversation know the participant isn’t a registered user.
The report also notes that users will be able to create a guest invitation link directly from the “Invite a friend” section or from the bottom of the contacts list within the app. After generating the link, it can be sent through SMS or copied and shared on other platforms like email or different messaging apps. Recipients can open the link either on a mobile device or through a desktop browser to join the chat.
This link can be created through the "Invite a friend" section or from the contacts list which is inside WhatsApp itself, according to WABetaInfo. This link can be shared through an SMS once it has been generated. Users can also use other platforms like emails, etc., to copy the said code and forward it to the intended person. The link is accessible on both desktop and mobile.
WABetainfo has also made a few things clear, like the fact that this messaging will include only limited features, as it is a temporary messaging solution. Some of the features that will not make their way to this temporary messaging solution are group chats and media sharing like videos and photos, and it will also exclude documents, GIFs, stickers and voice messages as well. Additionally, no voice or video call option will be available. Blocking will remain the same as it happens with WhatsApp accounts, according to the features tracker. Reportedly, these guest chats will work on an end-to-end encryption security protocol. WABetainfo says that when a WhatsApp chat is created, a unique identifier is generated through which an encryption key is generated for that specific chat.
The features tracker also claims that these chats will expire automatically after 10 days if left inactive. When this happens, a new invite link will have to be generated in order to continue chatting with the same person. This feature first came to the fore in October of 2025, and at this point it was not available for beta testing to developers, but now a few Android and iOS WhatsApp Beta users have access to it. Currently the update is under development, and we might see a complete rollout in the near future.