How to Start a WhatsApp Chat With an Unknown Number Without Saving It as a Contact

You don't need to use third-party apps in order to start a chat with a number that isn't saved in your phonebook on WhatsApp for iOS and Android.

Written by David Delima, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 18 July 2023 18:58 IST

How to Start a WhatsApp Chat With an Unknown Number Without Saving It as a Contact

WhatsApp users can update to the latest version of the app to use the new feature

Highlights

WhatsApp for iOS and Android now lets you chat with unknown numbers
Previously, users had to add strangers as a contact or rely on other apps
Updating to the latest version of WhatsApp adds the new functionality

WhatsApp recently rolled out a feature that will ease the process of starting a chat with other users, even when their number is not saved as a contact. The new functionality, available on both iOS and Android smartphones, will allow you to initiate a conversation with a stranger simply by entering their phone number in the app. Previously, users who did not want to start a chat with an unknown user without saving their number as a contact had to use various workarounds that were either bothersome or required the installation of another app.

Spotted by feature tracker WABetaInfo, the ability to start a chat with an unknown user was recently rolled out on the popular Meta-owned messaging service. You can simply enter a user's phone number after updating WhatsApp from the Google Play store or Apple's App Store to start using the new feature.

Previously, users had to download a third-party application that would initiate a new chat on WhatsApp, or type wa.me/ into their browser's address bar followed by the phone number of the person they wished to contact. However, these methods are not as user friendly as the latest feature that allows you to start a chat with a stranger from inside the app.

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Gadgets 360 was able to confirm that the functionality is working as intended on the latest version of WhatsApp for iOS and WhatsApp for Android. If you want to start using the new feature, you can follow the steps in the guide below.

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How to start a WhatsApp chat with unknown contacts

Update to the latest version of WhatsApp for iOS or Android.
Open WhatsApp and tap the button to start a new chat.
Type the number you want to chat with in the search bar.
Look for the number listed in the section Not in your contacts and tap on Chat.
You can now start a conversation by typing a message and tapping the send button.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp features, WhatsApp chats, How to, Meta

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More