WhatsApp’s Guest Chats feature could allow messaging non-users

A new feature being developed by WhatsApp is said to allow users to send a message to individuals who do not even have a WhatsApp account. The feature is called Guest Chats, and it is still in development and has been seen in the latest Android beta (v2.25.22.13) through the Google Play Beta Program. This feature is at its early stages and would enable users to send text messages to non-users of the app.

This update will allow temporary chats without the need of the WhatsApp application on either side of the communication. Nonetheless, it has several limitations to be mentioned, such as the inability to share media files like photos, videos, or voice messages.

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WABetaInfo stated that before being able to chat with another person, WhatsApp users will be required to initiate an invitation to that individual. The invite may be sent through SMS, email or other social sites. After this, the non-user can be connected through a special link where he/she gets a temporary chat window with the WhatsApp user, either via a browser or web-based interface.

The feature is reported to present an easy and safe experience to both the users and guests. Guest Chats, though restricted to text-only, will be reported to have end-to-end encryption similarly to normal WhatsApp chats.

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There will be no support of sharing media or voice/video calls in guest chats. This implies that users will not be in a position to share images, videos, or GIFs or start voice and video messages using the feature. This may change with the updated version, but at present the feature operates as only basic text messaging.

This feature has no official launch date and has yet to be deployed to beta testers. But its evolution points to the fact that WhatsApp is continuing to work to open up its platform and to open it up even to those who are not a part of the programme.