WhatsApp may be used by billions of people, but the Meta-owned app is eyeing continued growth with a tool that can invite people without WhatsApp accounts to conversations.
Spotted in the latest Android beta by WABetaInfo, the feature will allow you to chat without requiring the other person to sign up for the service or download an app. The person who has a WhatsApp account sets up the initial conversation. That becomes a direct link, which can then be shared through another method, such as SMS, email, or even a rival messaging service.
That direct link opens an end-to-end encrypted chat window that the recipient can join to send messages back and forth. For the receiver, it will look similar to a conversation on WhatsApp Web.
The beta shows that many of the media features available through WhatsApp, such as sharing photos or videos, or voice and video calls, aren’t available. You also won’t be able to join a group chat through this method.
It’s unclear how long these conversations last or if they expire. For example, we don’t know whether users will be able to return to them at a later date to re-engage in the same conversation, or if they’ll need to be invited to a new chat to use the feature again.
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WhatsApp is likely developing this in tandem with its work around EU interoperability regulations, which saw the company debut integration with other services such as Signal. The other benefit for WhatsApp is that users who have a positive experience through this feature may decide to download the full app.
As with all technology still in a beta stage, take this with a pinch of salt. WhatsApp has yet to fully confirm that this feature will launch.
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About James Peckham
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