Back in August, it was reported that a guest chats feature for WhatsApp was in the works. At the time, the feature was not available for beta testing yet. But now, it seems that has changed. According to a recent report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is rolling out guest chats to select beta testers on Android and iOS.
The feature allows users to converse with individuals who do not have a WhatsApp account. Essentially, users can invite others to chat via a link generated in the “Invite a friend” section. Naturally, users can send the link through email or other messaging platforms. The recipient can then open the link on their browser.
From there, the person has the option to download the app or continue as a guest. This second option leads to a new conversation on WhatsApp Web. As per the report, WhatsApp will generate a unique identifier to create an encryption key. This ensures that the conversation is secured with end-to-end encryption. Naturally, continuing as a guest means agreeing to WhatsApp’s terms and conditions. It is also worth noting that the guest can see the user’s phone number.
While only registered users may invite guests, guests are the one to begin chatting. Before initiating the conversation, the guest must enter a name. While the app will display the “Guest” keyword to indicate that the person does not have an account, it cannot verify the individual’s identity. As such, it is possible for someone other than the intended recipient to open the invite link.
WABetaInfo also notes that compared to regular chats, guest chats offer limited features. For instance, group chats are not available. This is also the case with file and media sharing, including images, stickers, and voice messages. What’s more, the feature does not support voice and video calls, as it is only for temporary conversations. This is underscored by the fact that the chat will expire after ten days of inactivity. Additionally, guests will not receive notifications, so they must keep checking the chat to avoid missing messages.
Beyond that, users can block guests the same way they can block other users. Once blocked, the guest will no longer be able to send messages in the conversation. Additionally, only guests the user has invited can contact them.
For now, the feature is in the beta testing phase, so the public does not have access to it yet. It is unclear when WhatsApp plans to release it for general users.
(Source: WABetaInfo)
