WhatsApp launches Events with invites for non-users
WhatsApp is rolling out an expanded Events hub that lets hosts invite guests without accounts, according to Engadget.
The facts
- WhatsApp is launching an expanded Events feature, found in the Events section of the settings menu, according to Engadget.
- The hub lists past and upcoming plans and lets hosts manage events and RSVPs. It will reach everyone on WhatsApp "over the following weeks".
- Hosts can invite people who are not on WhatsApp. Those guests can see details and RSVP without creating an account.
- A host's phone number is hidden from guests they do not know. Guests without WhatsApp cannot see the event address until they RSVP.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
This is WhatsApp reaching beyond its own user base. Engadget reads it as a move against Partiful, an events service. The app has been opening up to non-users for a while, with video calls last month and usernames this year. For many people in Africa, WhatsApp is already the default place where plans get made. Wedding, church-group and birthday organisers there will notice an invite that works for the relative who is not on the app.
For builders
If you build event or invite tools, a free feature inside an app with this reach is competition. Watch how the non-user RSVP flow works in practice, and where the privacy limits sit, before deciding what to do about it.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from Engadget's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.