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WhatsApp Rolls Out Guest Chats in Limited Beta on Android, iOS and Web

The beta lets non‑users join a one‑on‑one chat from a browser via an invite link with end‑to‑end encryption.

Overview

  • A small group of beta testers can generate invite links from the app to let people without WhatsApp accounts join a conversation in their browser.
  • Once a recipient opens the link, they can download WhatsApp or continue as a guest, after which WhatsApp Web creates a unique identifier to power end‑to‑end encryption.
  • Guest participants are unverified and must enter a display name, they can see the inviter’s phone number, and any holder of the link can join, which introduces identity risk.
  • Guest chats are deliberately limited to basic texting with no group chats, media or file sharing, stickers, voice messages, or voice and video calls, and guests may not receive notifications.
  • Sessions expire after 10 days of inactivity and require a new link to resume, the feature is not compatible with the Code Verify extension, and no timeline has been given for a wider release.