WhatsApp adds event invites for people without the app

Event hosts can create and share invitations from WhatsApp, while the new Events Home provides a place to send invites and manage responses. Hosts can also send custom reminders and let guests add a plus-one. Past and upcoming events are listed under Settings, then Events.

WhatsApp says it will not show a host’s phone number to guests they do not know. Invitees who are not on the app will see the event address only after they RSVP.

The update could make WhatsApp a more direct option for event planning alongside services such as Facebook. Partiful and Apple Invites also allow invitations to people who are not users, while some guests may not have an iPhone or want to download another app. WhatsApp says the new features are rolling out to all users in the coming weeks.