WhatsApp has introduced a new organization feature that lets you create events in certain groups. But how do you create events and how useful is the feature?

The company announced the new events feature on 1 May on the WhatsApp blog, noting that it will initially roll out to groups within WhatsApp Communities. A WhatsApp Community lets you organize groups under a single umbrella, so the feature will come in handy for these types of groups that often include neighbourhood street groups and school groups.

While WhatsApp presents it as an easier way for people to plan get-togethers without leaving the WhatsApp app, there are a few flaws. While WhatsApp’s announcement says that you will receive a notification when the event draws near, this didn’t happen when I tried out the feature.

This means that I won’t be dropping my calendar app for WhatsApp events anytime soon. However, it is a useful way to get people to RSVP to an event without needing to send out emails.

How to Create Your Own Event on WhatsApp

At least for now, you will only be able to create an event on WhatsApp if your chat group is within a community. So if you really want to try out the feature, considering creating a community on WhatsApp.

Once you have the feature, creating an event is simple. Follow these steps to create a WhatsApp event:

1. Open the chat where you want to create an event and select the paper clip icon for attachments.
2. Select the Event option.
3. Add the details for your event, including the Event name as well as its time and location. You can also toggle on the option for a WhatsApp call link if your event is a video or voice call.
4. Once you have entered all the details, select the green arrow icon to send your event to the group.

Your event will appear as a special box within the chat. Group members will be able to RSVP to your event by selecting it and choosing whether they will be attending or not. If you created the event, you can also select Edit event to change certain details or to cancel the event.

When the event draws near, you should receive a reminder. However, when I tried out the feature, the event notification didn’t pop up and it passed by unnoticed. However, if you want to make sure you get a reminder, you can select the Add to calendar option in the event details to add it to your default calendar app. In my case, the option opens up Google Calendar and allows me to edit the event details and reminder before saving it.

If you want to make sure the event doesn’t get buried in your WhatsApp group messages, make sure to pin it by holding down on the event widget and selecting Pin.

WhatsApp’s events feature has the makings of a useful productivity feature, but for the time being it is limited to certain groups and reminders still need some work. However it will hopefully expand to become a handy feature that makes group outings and meetings easier to organize.