Meta is rolling out an updated Events feature in WhatsApp that lets users invite people who do not have a WhatsApp account, according to an announcement on the WhatsApp blog. The update also adds a new Events Home hub for creating invites and managing RSVPs, and Meta says it will reach WhatsApp users over the coming weeks.
Guests without the app can open a shared event link, see the details, and RSVP without downloading WhatsApp. Meta pitches the change as timed for holiday meetups.
WhatsApp Events Now Reaches People Without an Account
The workflow is short. An organizer creates an event, adds a cover photo, and shares the event link. Recipients who use WhatsApp see the invite as usual, while people outside the platform can view the event and reply through the link.
"With Events on WhatsApp, your invite can now reach everyone, even friends who don't have a WhatsApp account," Meta writes in the blog post.
Events Home is the second part of the update. Meta describes it as "your one-stop to create and send customized invites and manage RSVPs." The hub supports:
- customized invites created and sent from one place
- RSVP tracking for each event
- custom reminders for guests
- an option for guests to add a plus one
- a list of past and upcoming events, including ones the user created or was invited to
Before this update, WhatsApp users often organized gatherings in regular chats. Events Home pulls invitations, replies, and reminders into a single view instead.
Privacy Rules for Guests Outside WhatsApp
Opening events to people outside the platform raises an obvious question about what those guests can see. Meta addresses it with two rules.
When a user invites guests they are not connected to on WhatsApp, the organizer's phone number is not shared with those guests. Meta also says the address of an event will not be shown to people who do not use WhatsApp until they have RSVP'd to the invitation. These rules sit on top of the end-to-end encryption WhatsApp already uses across the service.
Users who want to check the feature once it arrives can follow these steps:
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version from the app store.
- Open Settings and select Events to view Events Home.
- Create an event, add a cover photo, and share the event link with guests.
- Track replies and set custom reminders from Events Home.
Organizers who share an event link widely should keep in mind that anyone with the link can view the event details, and the address becomes visible to non-WhatsApp guests once they RSVP.
Meta says the updated Events feature is rolling out over the coming weeks and has not listed a date for specific countries or platforms.
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