WhatsApp Events now lets people without WhatsApp RSVP
WhatsApp Events invites can now reach people who don't have a WhatsApp account, Meta announced on Thursday, November 5. Guests open a link, see the event details and RSVP without installing the app, so a host can keep the whole guest list in WhatsApp.
Invites that work outside WhatsApp
With the update, a host creates an event, adds a cover photo and shares a link. Anyone who opens that link can read the details and respond, whether or not they use WhatsApp.
Meta says people told it they want a one-stop shop to create and coordinate events. The company pitches the update as arriving in time for holiday meetups.
A new Events Home
The update also adds Events Home, a single screen for creating and sending custom invites and keeping track of who has replied. Hosts can set custom reminders and let guests bring a plus one.
To see everything in one list, go to Settings and select Events. The list shows past and upcoming events, including the ones you created and the ones you were invited to.
Privacy rules for guests
According to Meta, your phone number isn't shown to guests you don't know. Guests without a WhatsApp account see the event's address only after they RSVP, so the location stays hidden from anyone who opens the link without responding. Meta adds that personal messages and calls stay end-to-end encrypted.
The update follows guest calling, which WhatsApp introduced on October 14. That feature lets people without an account join a WhatsApp call from a link in a computer browser, with the host's approval. Together, the 2 changes let WhatsApp users invite people without an account to both events and calls.
When you'll get it
Meta says the updated Events is rolling out to everyone over the following weeks. The announcement doesn't list specific regions or app versions, so the new options may not appear on your phone right away.
What it means for you
If you organize family dinners, school fundraisers or club nights over WhatsApp, you no longer need a separate invite service for friends and relatives who don't use it. They get a link and reply without the app, and you keep every RSVP in one place.
Treat event links from numbers you don't recognize with the same care as any other link. Our guide to spotting phishing covers the warning signs.