WhatsApp event invitations can now go to people who do not use the app
Guests can open a link, check the details and reply without signing up, and a new Events Home keeps every plan in one place.
Organising a get-together on WhatsApp no longer means leaving out the friend or relative who doesn't use it.
The app's Events feature now lets a host send an invitation link to anyone. Someone without a WhatsApp account can open it, read the details and RSVP without downloading the app or creating an account. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, announced the update on Thursday and said it would reach all users over the following weeks, in time for meetups over the festive season.
Hosts can add a cover photo to an event, send guests custom reminders and give them the option of bringing a plus one.
There is also a new Events Home for keeping track of plans. It sits in Settings under Events and lists every past and upcoming event, both the ones you have set up and the ones you have been invited to, along with the replies.
Meta says two privacy safeguards are built in. The host's phone number is not shown to guests they do not know, and anyone replying without a WhatsApp account only sees the address of the event after they have responded. Personal messages and calls stay end-to-end encrypted.
It is the second recent change aimed at people outside the app. In October WhatsApp started letting users invite people without an account to join calls.
