Guests without a WhatsApp account can respond through an invitation link, while organisers can use Events Home to track replies, send reminders and manage guest lists as Meta rolls out the update over several weeks.
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WhatsApp is expanding its Events feature to let organisers invite guests who do not have an account on the messaging platform. The update also introduces Events Home, a section within the app where users can create invitations, review responses and see the gatherings they have organised or been invited to. Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, said the changes would reach users over the coming weeks.
The rollout gives hosts a way to coordinate a gathering through WhatsApp even when some guests use other messaging services. An organiser can create an event, add a cover photo and share the invitation as a link. Recipients can open that link to see the event details and say whether they plan to attend without downloading WhatsApp or signing up for an account.
Previously, hosts arranging a gathering with people outside WhatsApp could need a separate way to invite them and collect replies alongside responses in the app. With the update, organisers can share an invitation outside a WhatsApp chat and still use the app to keep track of replies. For a family gathering, party or meetup involving several groups of friends, the same event can accommodate guests who use WhatsApp and those who receive the invitation elsewhere. The cover photo also gives hosts a way to distinguish one invitation from another when they are planning several gatherings.
Events Home brings invitations and replies together
Users can find Events Home by opening Settings and selecting Events. The section lists upcoming and past gatherings, including events a user has created and those to which they have been invited. This gives users a single place to revisit event information that they might otherwise have to locate in individual chats.
Organisers can customise and send invitations from the section, monitor responses and manage guest lists. They can also send custom reminders and give invitees the option to bring an additional guest. The option to allow an extra guest is set by the organiser, giving hosts a way to account for companions when planning a gathering. Bringing those tools into the same section lets a host check who has replied and follow up from the place where the invitation was created.
Address visible after guests confirm attendance
WhatsApp said it would limit the information visible to guests who do not know one another. A user’s phone number will be hidden from guests they do not know. The company has also set a separate condition for displaying the venue address to people who respond through a link without a WhatsApp account.
Those guests can review the invitation before deciding whether to attend, but they will see the event address only after confirming their attendance. Opening the link alone therefore gives them enough information to consider the invitation while keeping the address private until they accept.
