Usually, in order to message someone on WhatsApp, you must first save their phone number on your phone. This takes a long time and results in the unnecessary addition of contacts if you only need to text them once or twice. Thankfully, there are many ways to send WhatsApp messages without adding the number to your contact list. Let’s check the different methods.
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1. WhatsApp’s Click-to-Chat Feature
WhatsApp has a native feature that allows you to message someone without saving their phone number. This feature, known as click-to-chat, is not directly available in the WhatsApp app. To send messages without saving the contact, you must create a link containing the number and open that link.
Note: This method works on both mobile and computer.
Use the following steps to create and use click-to-chat links:
- Copy and paste the https://wa.me/<number> link in your browser, note-taking, chat apps, or any other app where you can access it quickly.
- Now whenever you want to WhatsApp someone without saving their number, simply replace
<number>
part of the link with the full number of the recipient in international format i.e., country code + actual number. Do not add any zeros, + signs, dashes, or brackets. Then, tap on the link to open it.
Examples:
- https://wa.me/912134567890, where 91 is the country code of India and 2134567890 is the phone number.
- https://wa.me/12134567890, where 1 is the country code of the USA and 2134567890 is the phone number.
- You should now see the “Continue to chat” button. Tap on it to open the chat thread on WhatsApp.
If the number isn’t a WhatsApp user, you will get a message that the number doesn’t exist or something similar.
Pro tip: I usually text wa.me/<number> to the WhatsApp chat thread that I have created with myself followed by tapping on the sent link. This initiates a WhatsApp chat thread with the phone number specified in the link.
If you own a business, you can use this method to allow your customers to directly message you on WhatsApp without saving your number. You can even add a pre-filled message that will automatically appear in the chat.
Also read: 9 WhatsApp Alternatives That Respect Your Privacy
2. Third-Party Websites
While the method described above is extremely simple in practice, it may appear to be laborious. If you don’t want to go the extra mile, you can use third-party websites to send WhatsApp messages without saving a contact.
On these websites, you simply enter the number, and the WhatsApp chat thread with that number is opened on your phone or PC. These websites, as expected, use the click-to-chat feature only, but they make it simple for users to access and use it.
Let’s check the steps:
- Open SendWhatsappMsg.com in a browser on your mobile or PC. You should bookmark the link or add its shortcut on your mobile phone’s home screen for faster access.
- Select the country of the recipient from the drop-down box under the WhatsApp number.
- Then, type the phone number and add your message.
- Finally, click on the “Send message” button.
- The WhatsApp chat thread will open with the number you provided in step 2. You may now begin chatting with the individual without saving their phone number.
Some other websites that you can use are:
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3. Third-Party Apps
You can install third-party apps on your Android phone or iPhone, similar to websites, that will allow you to text someone on WhatsApp without adding them to your contacts list.
These apps make use of WhatsApp’s click-to-chat feature only. So you enter the number, and the app will open the WhatsApp chat thread with that number. These apps require no additional permission.
Follow these steps for the Easy Messsage app:
- Install the Easy Message app on Android or iOS.
- Type or copy-paste the number in international format.
- Hit the “Start chat in WhatsApp” button to open the WhatsApp chat thread with the unsaved number.
Other click-to-chat apps that you can try are:
- Direct Message for WhatsApp (iOS)
- Click to Chat (iOS)
- WhatsDirect (Android)
- Click to chat (Android)
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4. Siri Shortcut (iPhone Only)
On iPhone, you can use the Siri shortcuts to WhatsApp people without saving their number.
- Install the Apple Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
- Next, install the WhatsApp to Non Contact shortcut on your iPhone. For that, simply tap on the link on your iPhone and hit the “Add shortcut” button. Two other similar shortcuts to try are WhatsApp Unsaved Number and WhatsApp Thread.
Tip: If you face any issue while installing the shortcut, learn how to install third-party Siri shortcuts on iPhone. Also, check out the best Siri Shortcuts for power users.
- Next, open the Apple Shortcuts app and you will see the newly installed shortcut. Tap on it to run it.
- A pop-up will appear. Tap on “Choose recipient” and type the number in the international format to whom you want to message.
- The WhatsApp chat thread with that particular number will open.
- You can make the process easier by adding the shortcut to the home screen of your iPhone. For that, open the Shortcuts app and tap on the three-dot icon on the “WhatsApp to Non Contact” shortcut.
- Press the three-bar icon at the top.
- Select “Add to Home Screen”.
- Finally, tap on “Add” in the upper right corner.
- Now, whenever you want to message someone on WhatsApp without adding them to your iPhone contacts, simply tap on the shortcut icon on the home screen.
- Press the “Choose Recipient” button.
- Then type the phone number to start a WhatsApp chat thread.
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5. From Call History
You can use Truecaller app (an alternative Phone app) to send WhatsApp messages to unsaved numbers that are in your call history using the following steps:
- Open the Truecaller app on your Android or iOS phone.
- Find the number whom you want to message. Tap on the arrow next to their number/name to view the details.
- Scroll down and tap on the WhatsApp button to send a WhatsApp message to that number.
Also read: How to Export Telegram Chat History
6. From a WhatsApp Group
You do not need to use any of the methods described above if you want to text a number that you saw in a WhatsApp group without saving it. You can directly message such a number from WhatsApp itself in two ways as shown below.
- Tap on the number present above the message sent by the user in the group chat.
- Select “Message” to open the chat thread automatically.
- Alternatively, tap on the group name at the top to open the group info screen. Scroll down to see the list of participants.
- Tap on “View all” or “See all”.
- Tap on the number to whom you want to message and hit the “Message” button.
Also read: How to Create and Manage a Telegram Channel
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you create WhatsApp groups without saving numbers?
You can create a WhatsApp group only with people that are in your contacts. However, you can create and share WhatsApp group links so that anyone with the link can join the group.
Can you WhatsApp call someone who isn’t added to your contacts?
Yes, you can create or join a WhatsApp call even if the person isn’t saved in your contacts list.
How can I save an unsaved WhatsApp number to my contacts?
Open the chat thread in WhatsApp and tap on the number at the top to open the chat info screen. Tap on “Save” (Android) or “Add to contacts” (iPhone) to add it to your contacts list.
All screenshots by Mehvish Mushtaq
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