Meta's WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps out there. It acts as a solid cross-platform bridge by connecting iOS 17 users to those relying on Android smartphones. However, sometimes we may want to contact a person without saving their number. This could be a business or courier whom we only need to chat with once. Instead of saving and deleting numbers on your iPhone, there's a workaround to easily message WhatsApp users without adding them to your contacts. No matter what your reasons are, below you will find the detailed steps you have to follow.

How to easily message unsaved WhatsApp numbers on iPhone

Creating the shortcut

First, you will need to create the shortcut itself. You only have to do this once.

  1. Launch the built-in Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
  2. Click on All Shortcuts.
  3. Tap the plus (+) icon in the top right corner.
  4. Give your shortcut a name and choose an icon.
    shortcuts app on iOS showing all shortcuts section
    shortcuts on iOS showing plus button to create new shortcut
    shortcuts on iOS showing a shortcut called unsaved WhatsApp with a green message bubble icon
  5. Click on the Search for apps and actions bar at the bottom of the screen.
  6. Type Safari in the search field.
  7. Click on Open URLs.
  8. Tap on URL in the action you've just added.
    search bar in a shortcut
    searching for safari in a shortcut
    open URLs action in shortcuts
    open url action with field to insert link
  9. Type wa.me/ in the text field.
  10. Click on the Ask Each Time button right above the keyboard.
  11. Tap on Done.
  12. Click the Play (triangular) button in the bottom right corner.
    wa.me link in the open url action of a shortcut
    ask each time button in shortcut
    done button in shortcut
    play button (triangle shaped) in bottom right corner
  13. Type or paste the number you would like to message on WhatsApp, including the country code but excluding the dash (-) and plus (+) or two zeroes (00). So, for example, if you want to contact the number +1 (123) 456-7890, type it as 11234567890.
  14. Tap on Done.
  15. Press on Allow when the privacy alert pops up. This will only happen the first time you run the shortcut.
  16. Afterward, you will be taken directly to the WhatsApp chat of the inserted number.
    allow shortcut to open wa.me link
    trying the number with the international phone code in the dedicated field after triggering shortcut
    done button after typing the number in the dedicated field
    WhatsApp starting chat banner

Triggering the shortcut

After you create the shortcut, you can trigger it whenever you actually need to message an unsaved number on WhatsApp.

  1. Copy the phone number in the plain format mentioned in the previous section.
  2. Go to the Shortcuts app.
  3. Click on the shortcut to trigger it.
  4. Paste the number.
  5. Hit on Done, and you will instantly be taken to the WhatsApp chat. This way, you can chat with the person without needing to add them to your contacts.
  6. A faster alternative is adding the Shortcuts widget to your Home Screen, clicking it, then following the rest of the usual steps. You could similarly trigger it through Siri or Spotlight Search.
    unsaved WhatsApp shortcut in shortcuts app
    unsaved WhatsApp shortcut running and asking for number
    unsaved WhatsApp shortcut widget on home screen
    unsaved WhatsApp shortcut running on Home Screen and requesting phone number

Clearing out those numbers

While this may seem complicated to create, it's only for the first time. Once it's set up, the shortcut is easy to access and more convenient than manually typing the wa.me link in Safari or saving and deleting a number. This is an especially helpful time-saver if you often contact people you won't be needing more than once, like asking different homeowners about flat details when hunting for a new house, or contacting a shop for a non-recurring purchase.