Send a WhatsApp message without saving the number

Five ways to start a WhatsApp chat with someone who is not in your contacts, and which one to use when.

This appears in the message box ready to send. It is never sent automatically.

At a glance

The quickest method is WhatsApp's own: open a new chat, type the phone number into the search box, and tap the result to message it without saving. If your version does not offer that, open https://wa.me/ followed by the number in international format, which works in any browser on any device.

Can you message someone on WhatsApp without saving their number?

Yes, and you no longer need a workaround to do it. WhatsApp added the ability to message an unsaved number directly from the app, and a wa.me link has always been able to do the same thing from a browser.

The five methods below are ordered by how quickly they get you into the chat. All of them leave your contacts list untouched.

Open a new chat and type the full phone number into the search field. WhatsApp offers the number as a result, and tapping it opens a conversation without adding a contact.

This arrived in WhatsApp for iOS 23.14.0 and Android 2.23.15.11, so it is present in any reasonably current install. Include the country code when the number is not local to you.

  1. Open a new chat. Tap the new-chat icon from the Chats tab.
  2. Type the number into the search box. Enter the full number including the country code, without a plus sign if the field rejects one.
  3. Tap the number in the results. WhatsApp shows the number itself as a result. Tapping it opens the conversation, and the contact is never saved.

Type https://wa.me/ followed by the number in full international format into any browser's address bar. WhatsApp opens a chat with that number.

This is the most portable method. It works on a desktop browser, on a phone, from a link someone sends you, and from a QR code. It is also the only method that lets you hand the chat to someone else, which is why businesses use it on websites and in bios.

Write the number with digits only. No plus sign, no spaces, no dashes, and no leading zero from domestic dialling. +44 7400 123456 becomes https://wa.me/447400123456.

Method 3: message yourself, then tap the number

Open your own chat in WhatsApp, send yourself the phone number as a message, then tap it. WhatsApp recognises it as a number and offers to open a chat.

This is useful when you have the number in a format you would rather not retype, because you can paste it. It also leaves you a record of the number in your own chat, which may or may not be what you want.

Method 4: tap the number in a group chat

If the person has posted in a group you are both in, tap their number in the participant list or on one of their messages, then choose the message option.

This only works when you already share a group, but it is the fastest route when you do.

Method 5: a QR code

A WhatsApp QR code is a wa.me link in scannable form. Scanning it with a phone camera opens the chat, with no typing and no transcription errors.

This is the practical option for print, shop windows, packaging and slides. You can build one on the link generator page.

Which method should I use?

Use the built-in search if you are already in WhatsApp on your phone. Use a wa.me link for everything else.

  • You are on your phone, in the app: Built-in number search. Fewest taps.
  • You are on a computer: A wa.me link in the browser. The built-in search is not available on WhatsApp Web in the same form.
  • You need to give the chat to someone else: A wa.me link. It is the only method that is shareable.
  • You are putting it on a website or in a bio: A wa.me link, optionally with a pre-filled message.
  • It needs to work from print: A QR code containing the wa.me link.

Does the other person see that I messaged without saving them?

No. A chat started from a link or from number search looks exactly like any other chat on their end. There is no indicator showing how the conversation was opened.

They will see your profile name and photo according to your normal privacy settings, the same as with any message from someone who has not saved them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send a WhatsApp message without saving the number?

Open a new chat in WhatsApp, type the full phone number into the search box, and tap the number in the results. If your version does not support that, open https://wa.me/ followed by the number in international format in any browser.

Does WhatsApp let you message an unsaved number natively?

Yes. WhatsApp added number search in the new-chat screen in iOS 23.14.0 and Android 2.23.15.11, which opens a chat with an unsaved number without adding a contact.

Does the other person know I did not save their number?

No. The conversation looks identical on their side regardless of how you opened it, and there is no indicator of the method used.

Can I do this on a computer?

Yes. Open https://wa.me/ followed by the number in your browser and it will hand off to WhatsApp Web or the desktop app.

Do I need a third-party app for this?

No. WhatsApp's built-in number search and wa.me links both handle it. The app-store tools that advertise this feature are wrappers around the same wa.me link.

Why does my link say the phone number is invalid?

Almost always because the number kept a leading zero from domestic dialling, is missing its country code, or still contains a plus sign or spaces. A wa.me link takes digits only, in full international format.