WhatsApp Launches Events: Shareable Invites, and Guests Can RSVP Without a WhatsApp Account
An expanded Events feature adds shareable invitations, a dedicated hub and RSVPs for guests who do not use WhatsApp. The rollout will take several weeks.
WhatsApp is expanding its Events feature so organizers can share invitations with people who do not have a WhatsApp account. Guests can open an invite link, view details and RSVP without downloading the app, the company announced Thursday.
Organizers can add a cover photo and share the invitation link. The update also adds a dedicated Events Home, reached through Settings, where users can create invites, manage RSVPs and see past and upcoming events they have organized or been invited to.
Other planning tools include custom reminders and an option for guests to bring a plus-one. WhatsApp already offered event creation inside group chats and one-on-one conversations; the new announcement expands that system beyond existing chats.
WhatsApp says organizers' phone numbers are hidden from guests they do not know. Guests without a WhatsApp account can see the event address only after they RSVP. The company says personal messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted.
The updated features are rolling out over the coming weeks, so they may not appear for every user immediately.