WhatsApp is developing a new feature called Guest Chats to allow users to connect with individuals who do not have a WhatsApp account.
Through Guest Chats, users can invite friends from their contact list who do not have a WhatsApp account. The invited individuals will receive a special link to open a private chat session without having to register or download the WhatsApp application.
These conversations will be stored in the WhatsApp ecosystem and do not involve integration with third-party applications. WhatsApp also guarantees that all messages in Guest Chats will be protected with end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for user security purposes.
Although Guest Chats brings an interesting new approach, it also comes with several limitations. Among them are the lack of ability to share photos, videos and GIFs, does not support voice messages, audio or video calls, and is limited to individual conversations without group chat support.
In the meantime, WhatsApp is also developing another important feature, which is third-party application management. Through it, users can control which external applications are allowed to send messages via WhatsApp. Currently, it is still in the development phase and is expected to be introduced through future updates.