How to join WhatsApp group from "chat?code=" link

Question

I was provided a web link in an email. I was reading the email on my computer, so when I clicked it, it opened in Firefox. It bounced around a bit (since it was a marketing tracking redirect link), but finally landed on whatsapp://chat?code=(randomlookingthing)&usp=sharing.



I would like to participate in this group (only). In other words, I don't need to or want to involve my existing contacts, I just want to be able to interact with this group.



So far I have:




  • Forwarded the whatsapp:// link to my phone via an email

  • Installed WhatsApp on my Android 7.0 device from the PlayStore

  • Answered 'no' to the requests to access contacts

  • Pasted the link into the phone's browser, which had an error "Problem loading page" (didn't understand protocol whatsapp://)



I don't see where I enter the group in order to begin interacting with those in the group.



How can I join the group?


— Dale | Sources

Answer

The marketing link clicked in the original email "secretly" went through a http://chat.whatsapp.com/(randomlookingthing) link first, before landing on the whatsapp://... link. That link is only understood by phones that have WhatsApp installed. As noted, the Firefox on the computer doesn't understand the whatsapp:// protocol, and the browser on the phone doesn't either. What is needed is the chat.whatsapp.com/... link.



The easy solution is to forward the original email to the phone. That link, with the original marketing link, should bounce through the chat.whatsapp.com link, then, since WhatsApp is installed on the phone, it will understand how to add you to the group.



Alternatively, you can open Firefox's Developer > Network, then run the marketing link. This will expose the chat.whatsapp.com link that's aligned with the group. If that link is used in the phone's browser, since WhatsApp is installed on the phone, it will understand how to add you to the group.


— Dale | Sources

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