You can get around that using a special "
https://web.whatsapp.com/send?phone=[..]" and/or "
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=[..]" URL. I think the web. URL only works with WhatsApp web and the api. works on phones, but I'm not 100% sure (I typically use WhatsApp Web myself).
I have a simple form on my website to make that a bit easier: https://www.arp242.net/wa.html.