How to start a WhatsApp chat without, ugh, creating a new contact


As more and more businesses and services add official WhatsApp accounts, it can be a pain when they clutter up your smartphone's contact list. There's a simpler way to chat in such cases. — Photo: Martin Gerten/dpa

BERLIN: Your plumber, hairdresser and kid's headmaster don't all need to be in your list of contacts on your phone. And yet for many, this is what ends up happening if you want to reach them on WhatsApp.

Thanks to WhatsApp's so-called "click to chat" function, you don't have to save a new contact for every new chat.

This handy feature essentially lets you chat to any person or company without saving the contact on your smartphone. The only requirement on both sides is an active WhatsApp account.

Here's how it works: In any smartphone or computer browser, type in the internet address https://wa.me/ followed by the phone number you're trying to reach.

Make sure to add the international dialling code before the number, but without any prefix zeros, plus sign, brackets, spaces or hyphens, for example the US phone number 001-484-555-1234 would become: https://wa.me/14845551234.

Then tap the enter key and WhatsApp will ask if you want to chat to that number. Just tap on the "continue to chat" button and the chat will open automatically. The whole thing works on smartphones and tablets as well as on any computer with the WhatsApp web app in the browser. – dpa

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

Sirius XM found liable in New York lawsuit over subscription cancellations
US Supreme Court tosses case involving securities fraud suit against Facebook
Amazon doubles down on AI startup Anthropic with $4 billion investment
Factbox-Who are bankrupt Northvolt's creditors?
UK should use new powers to probe Apple-Google mobile browser duopoly, report says
EU regulators scrap probe into Apple's e-book rules after complaint was withdrawn
Hyundai recalls over 145,000 electrified US vehicles on loss of drive power
'World of Warcraft' still going strong as it celebrates 20 years
Northvolt CEO steps down, saying group needs up to $1.2 billion
Bitcoin at record highs, sets sights on $100,000

Others Also Read