By 
Sometimes you need to WhatsApp someone once: a delivery rider, a seller on Facebook Marketplace, a plumber, a bKash agent. Saving every one of those numbers fills your contacts with people you’ll never message again. The good news is that you don’t have to. WhatsApp now lets you message any number directly, and there’s an official link trick that works from any browser.
Short answer: in WhatsApp on Android, tap the New chat button, type the full number (with country code) into the search bar, and tap Chat when WhatsApp finds it. Or open your browser and go to wa.me/ followed by the number in international format, for example wa.me/8801XXXXXXXXX.
Last updated: October 2026.
Method 1: Search the number inside WhatsApp (easiest)
WhatsApp added this built-in option in 2023, so it works on any up-to-date version.
- Open WhatsApp and tap the green New chat button (the message icon at the bottom right).
- Tap the search icon at the top and type the full phone number. For a Bangladeshi number, you can type it as you’d dial it, but including the country code (+880) is the most reliable.
- If the number has a WhatsApp account, it appears under a heading like Not in your contacts, often with the person’s profile name.
- Tap it to open the chat and send your message.
If nothing appears, check the number, then make sure your WhatsApp is updated from the Play Store. If it still doesn’t show, that number probably isn’t registered on WhatsApp.
Method 2: Use a wa.me link in your browser
WhatsApp’s official click to chat links work on any phone or computer, even without the app’s search.
- Open Chrome (or any browser).
- In the address bar, type
wa.me/followed by the full number in international format: country code first, no plus sign, no spaces, no dashes and no leading zero. - Press Enter, then tap Continue to chat or Open WhatsApp.
How to write a Bangladeshi number correctly:
| How you’d normally write it | What goes in the link |
|---|---|
| 01XXX-XXXXXX | wa.me/8801XXXXXXXXX |
| +880 1XXX XXXXXX | wa.me/8801XXXXXXXXX |
The rule: start with 880, then the 11-digit number without its first 0.
Replace the X’s with the real digits.
You can also add a ready-made message with ?text=, for example wa.me/8801XXXXXXXXX?text=Hi. This is handy if you run a small business: put your own wa.me link on your Facebook page so customers can message you in one tap.
Method 3: Tap a number someone sent you
If a phone number appears in any WhatsApp chat or group, you don’t need to copy it anywhere:
- Tap the number in the message.
- Choose Chat with followed by the number.
WhatsApp opens a new chat with that person straight away. This is the quickest way to reply privately to someone in a big group without saving them.
Method 4: On a computer
Using WhatsApp on your laptop? The same tricks work:
- In WhatsApp Web or the desktop app, click New chat and type the number in the search box.
- Or open a new browser tab and go to
wa.me/with the number, then choose to open it in WhatsApp.
If you haven’t set it up yet, here’s how to log in to WhatsApp Web, and which to pick in WhatsApp Web vs the desktop app.
What about WhatsApp usernames?
WhatsApp has been rolling out usernames since April 2026, so people can share a username instead of their phone number. Where it’s available, you’ll be able to find someone by their username in the same search bar. The rollout is gradual, so many people don’t have one yet; for now, the phone number is still the usual way.
Things to know before you message a stranger
- The other person sees your number. Messaging someone unsaved doesn’t hide your phone number from them.
- They may not see your profile photo. Depending on their privacy settings and yours, unsaved contacts may see less of your profile.
- WhatsApp may show a safety notice. Chats with unknown numbers can come with warnings about scams. Take them seriously: never share OTP codes, PINs or payment details with someone you don’t know.
- Avoid “direct chat” apps that ask for lots of permissions. You don’t need a third-party app for this; the built-in search and wa.me links do the job safely.
The short version
Tap New chat, type the number with its country code in the search bar, and tap the result. Or open wa.me/8801XXXXXXXXX in your browser: 880, then the number without its first zero. You can also tap any number inside a chat and choose Chat with. No contact saving and no extra apps needed. If you want to keep work and personal chats separate, see how to use two WhatsApp accounts on one phone.
