Usually, to message someone on WhatsApp, first you have to save their phone number in your phone. This takes a long time and results in 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 examine the different methods.
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 a message without saving a contact, you need to create a link containing the number and open that link. This method works on both mobile and computer.
Following steps to create and use click-to-chat links:
1. Copy and paste the https://wa.me/<number> link into your browser, note-taking, chat apps, or any other app where you can quickly access it.
2. Now whenever you want to WhatsApp without saving someone's number, just replace the <number> part of the link with the recipient's full number in international format, i.e. country code + actual number. Do not add any zeros, + signs, dashes, or parentheses. Then, tap on the link to open it.
Example:
- https://wa.me/911234567891, where 91 is the country code of India and 1234567890 is the phone number.
- https://wa.me/11234567890, where 1 is the country code of the USA and 1234567890 is the phone number.
3. You should now see a "Continue to Chat" button. Tap on it to open the chat thread on WhatsApp.
If the number is not a WhatsApp user, you will get a message that the number does not exist or something like that.
If you are a business owner, you can use this method to allow your customers to message you directly on WhatsApp without saving your number. You can also add a pre-filled message that will automatically appear in the chat.
2. Third-Party Websites
While the method described above is extremely simple in practice, it may seem 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 a WhatsApp chat thread with that number opens on your phone or PC. As expected, these websites only use the click-to-chat feature, but they make it easy for users to access and use it.
Let's check the steps:
1. Open SendWhatsappMsg.com in the browser of your mobile or PC. You should bookmark the link or add its shortcut to the home screen of your mobile phone for faster access.
2. Select the recipient's country from the drop-down box under WhatsApp Number.
3. Then, type the phone number and add your message.
4. Finally, click on the "Send Message" button.
5. The WhatsApp chat thread will open with the number you provided in step 2. Now you can start chatting with the person without saving their phone number.
Some other websites you can use are:
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 contact list.
These apps use the same click-to-chat feature of WhatsApp. So you enter the number, and the app will open a WhatsApp chat thread with that number. These apps do not require any additional permissions.
Follow these steps for easy messaging app:
1. Install the Easy Messages app on Android or iOS.
2. Type or copy-paste the number in international format.
3. Press the "Start Chat in WhatsApp" button to open the WhatsApp chat thread with the unsaved number.
Other click-to-chat apps you can try are:
- Direct Message for WhatsApp (iOS)
- Click to Chat (iOS)
- WhatsDirect (Android)
- Click to chat (Android)
4. Siri Shortcuts (iPhone only)
On iPhone, you can use Siri Shortcuts to WhatsApp people without saving their number.
1. Install Apple Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
2. Next, install WhatsApp to Non Contact shortcut on your iPhone. For that, just tap on the link on your iPhone and hit the "Add shortcut" button. Two other similar shortcuts to try are WhatsApp Unsaved Numbers and WhatsApp Threads.
3. Next, open the Apple Shortcuts app and you will see the newly installed shortcut. Tap on it to play it.
4. A pop-up will appear. Tap "Select Recipient" and type the number in the international format you want to send the message to.
5. WhatsApp chat thread will open with that particular number.
6. You can make the process easier by adding a shortcut to your iPhone's home screen. For that, open the Shortcuts app and tap on the three-dot icon on the "WhatsApp to Non Contact" shortcut.
7. Press the three-bar icon at the top.
8. Select "Add to Home Screen".
9 Finally, tap on "Add" in the top right corner.
10. Now, whenever you want to message someone on WhatsApp without adding them to your iPhone Contacts, tap on the shortcut icon on the home screen.
11. Press the "Select Recipient" button.
12. Then type the phone number to start the WhatsApp chat thread.
5. From Call History
You can use the Truecaller app (an alternative phone app) to send WhatsApp messages to unsaved numbers that are in your call history using the following steps:
1. Open the Truecaller app on your Android or iOS phone.
2. Find the number you want to send the message to. Tap on the arrow next to their number/name to see the details.
3. Scroll down and tap on WhatsApp button to send WhatsApp message to that number.
6. From WhatsApp Group
If you want to text a number you see in a WhatsApp group without saving it then you don't need to use any of the methods mentioned above. You can message this type of number directly from WhatsApp in two ways as shown below.
1. In a group chat, tap on the number above the message sent by the user.
2. Select Messages to have the chat thread open automatically.
3. Alternatively, tap the name of the group at the top to open the group info screen. Scroll down to see the list of participants.
4. Tap See All or View All.
5. Tap on the number you want to message and press the Message button.
