WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, with over 2 billion active users. One of the handiest features of WhatsApp is the ability to message new contacts without having to save their number in your phonebook first.
Why Would You Want to Message Someone Without Adding Their Contact?
There are a few common reasons why you may want to message someone on WhatsApp without saving their contact:
- You met someone recently and got their number but don’t know them well enough yet to save the contact
- Someone gave you their number for a specific purpose (e.g. a business contact or temporary transaction)
- You want to message someone anonymously without revealing your number
- You received a message from an unknown number and want to reply without saving it
Messaging without formally adding a contact can be useful for privacy, anonymity, and just keeping your contacts clean when you don’t really know the person. WhatsApp makes this easy to do.
How to Message Without Saving Number
There are a couple different ways to go about messaging a number that is not saved in your contacts on WhatsApp:
Method 1: Via the WhatsApp Web/Desktop App
The easiest way is to use WhatsApp Web/Desktop. Here’s how:
- Open the WhatsApp web app at web.whatsapp.com or desktop app on your computer.
- Click the “New Chat” button.
- In the “To” field at the top, enter the phone number you want to message.
- Type your message and hit enter to send.
This will instantly deliver a message from your WhatsApp account to that unsaved number. You can continue the conversation on WhatsApp web without ever having to add the contact on your phone.
Method 2: Via Your Phone’s Number Keyboard
You can also start a chat with an unsaved number right from your phone’s number keyboard in the main WhatsApp app:
- Open the WhatsApp app on your phone.
- Tap the “Chats” tab at the bottom.
- Tap the pencil icon to start a new chat.
- In the “To” field, type the phone number manually using your phone’s number keyboard.
- Type out your message and tap send.
This sends a message directly to that number within WhatsApp without needing to add the contact to your address book.
Method 3: Via WhatsApp’s Click to Chat Links
WhatsApp also offers a way to create a chat with someone by generating a unique link. Here’s how it works:
- Go to https://wa.me/ and enter the phone number after the slash, with country code.
- Hit enter. This will generate a unique URL for that number.
- Send the URL to the recipient and have them open it on their phone. It will open a new chat window with your number.
- Once they’ve initiated the chat from their end, you can respond directly in WhatsApp without saving their contact.
This click-to-chat link method allows you to start a WhatsApp chat with someone without revealing your phone number directly. It’s useful if you want to anonymously message someone without exposing your number.
Tips for Messaging Unsaved Numbers
Here are some tips to keep in mind when messaging phone numbers not saved in your WhatsApp contacts:
- Double check the number is correct before messaging to avoid messaging the wrong person.
- Mention who you are in your first message so they know the context if it’s not immediately clear.
- If you want to remain anonymous, don’t reveal personal details that could identify you.
- Be cautious messaging unknown numbers as you don’t know who will receive the messages.
- You can block unknown numbers in WhatsApp if someone is harassing you or sending inappropriate content.
- Don’t click any suspicious links sent from an unsaved number, which could be associated with scams or malware.
FAQs About Messaging Without Saving Contacts
Does the recipient see my number if I message them without saving contact?
Yes, when you message someone in WhatsApp who does not have your contact saved, they will still see your full phone number in the messages they receive from you.
Can I see someone’s profile photo and last seen status if I message them without saving?
You can see someone’s profile photo and last seen status if you message them, even without saving their number. However, they have the option to set their privacy settings to hide their photo and last seen time if they wish.
Will my messages go through if I message someone who hasn’t saved my number?
Yes, your messages will be delivered to someone as long as you have their correct phone number, regardless of whether they have your number saved already or not.
Can I message multiple unsaved numbers at once?
WhatsApp does not allow you to easily message multiple unsaved numbers in one go. You can only start individual chats with each number. There is no group messaging option for unsaved numbers.
Is there a limit to how many unsaved numbers I can message?
There is no limit imposed by WhatsApp on the number of different unsaved contacts you can message. You are free to carry on conversations with as many numbers as you like without saving them to your address book if you choose.
Conclusion
Messaging someone on WhatsApp without formally saving their contact is quick and easy to do right from your phone or desktop app. It can be quite useful in situations where you only need to temporarily message someone or want to remain anonymous. Just be cautious when messaging unknown numbers and don’t click suspicious links. With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp makes it incredibly convenient to instantly reach anyone around the world even without an official contact saved.