WhatsApp is developing a new guest chats feature for a future update that will allow users to communicate with people even if they do not have a WhatsApp account. The new feature works by sharing a direct link with the recipient, who can then access the chat without installing the app. These guest chats will only support one-to-one messages, not group conversations, which is a key, but not the only, limitation.
According to WABetaInfo, the feature is under development and not yet available even to beta testers. It is speculated that guests will interact with the chat via WhatsApp Web, this will allow the device to use WhatsApp’s web resources to create a private, encrypted chat session, without needing to install the app.
Meta is also working on a new feature, that’s not live yet, that will allow WhatsApp users to have third-party chats where contacts are using other applications. This new guest chats feature is not that; they are developed and managed entirely within WhatsApp’s own ecosystem. Meta will definitely be hoping that this feature convinces more people to join the app who aren’t signed up yet.
Messages that you send in guest chats will be protected by end-to-end encryption to give more privacy, just as you’d expect when chatting to registered users. Closer to launch, we should hear more about the technical details of the encryption and functionality. What we do know, however, is that guest chats will have significant limitations, including no support for media files, voice messages, video calls, or voice calls.
It’ll be interesting to see whether these limitations in fact create annoyance and drive users away from the service further or whether it lures people into making an account. We should see this translated out in user growth figures reported by Meta once the feature launches.