Whether it’s a service provider, a travel companion you need to message on the go, there are a lot of situations where you don’t need to add your number to your phone – not to mention secret contacts, but that’s a topic best left untouched…

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How to send messages in WhatsApp without adding the number to your phonebook

With the person/company’s number written down, just open your phone’s browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc) and follow these steps

  1. Go to the page: https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=[contact-number]
    1. Complete the address with the number with the country code.
    2. For example, for the COVID’s FAQ from the World Health Organization, the address is  this: https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=41798931892
  2. Confirm the number/contact name shown on the WhatsApp page and click Continue to chat.
WhatsApp without contact 01
Some colleagues would say that “WhatsApp is now contact-less”… / © NextPit Image source: NextPit

That’s it. For some professional WhatsApp accounts – such as the hotline in the example above – the app shows the profile name. In the case of individuals, WhatsApp simply shows the phone number, with the country code, since the contact’s number was not added to the phone book.

How to send WhatsApp messages from PC to non-contacts

The same tip can be used on your computer as long as you have already opened WhatsApp Web on your PC. The trick works a little better if you have WhatsApp desktop installed on Windows or macOS, but it can also be used in the browser on your computer.

If you have WhatsApp Desktop installed and running on your computer, open your PC web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, etc) and follow basically the same steps as on mobile:

  1. Go to the page: https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=[contact-number] (complete with the country code).
  2. Check the number shown on the WhatsApp page and click Continue to chat.
WhatsApp without contact 02
The shortcut opens WhatsApp Desktop / © NextPit Image source: NextPit

By clicking the button, the WhatsApp app installed on the PC will open, allowing you to chat normally with the other person or company without adding the number to the phone’s contact list.

If you do not have WhatsApp Desktop on your computer – for example if you use Linux or opened WhatsApp Web on your tablet – you can send the web address you created – https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=[contact number] – to yourself (learn how below) and then just click the link in the WhatsApp Web window itself.

Use the feature to take notes in WhatsApp

The trick to send messages on WhatsApp to numbers outside your contact list allows you to use the app in a new way – similar to a feature in Telegram and Signal – the option to save personal notes on WhatsApp itself.

WhatsApp mensagens nao contato bonus
Write down numbers, addresses, and other things by sending messages to your own WhatsApp / © NextPit Image source: NextPit

To do this, just link to your own phone number, and WhatsApp will open a conversation screen with your number. To avoid confusion, before sending a message, confirm that it really is your account by checking the number shown and your profile picture.

Did you like the gimmick? Just don’t forget to delete compromising notes from time to time. Do you have any suggestions on how to make even better use of this feature? Share your tip in the comments!

The purpose of this article is to gather in one place all the information about how to send messages on WhatsApp to numbers outside your contact list. So, from time to time the instructions will be updated as WhatsApp changes or releases new options. Comments prior to the last update may refer to outdated steps or settings.