Apple Launches New 'Invites' App

[thejadedmonkey]

So, a few questions:

* What does it look like when I invite someone on Android or a PC?
* Does it integrate with the calendar on iOS/Android/Windows?
* If so, If I update the event, will it update the calendar too?

 

[amaze1499]

An invite to journal about subscriptions.

 

[ignatius345]

Meh. When rumors of this feature were coming out, I had high hopes Apple was going to take a stab at automating scheduling, but apparently not. :/

What I truly need more than shared playlists (ugh) and telling people the weather or directions (which guests can readily just look up themselves) is something that makes scheduling easier.

What I was hoping for was a well designed, calendar-integrated version of an app like Doodle which lets you send out a few day/time options and automates the process of finding overlap in people's responses. I already have a zillion ways to tell people about a dinner or a meeting, but FINDING a time to meet with multiple busy people is a PITA.

 

[Astuces iOS]

So, a few questions:

* What does it look like when I invite someone on Android or a PC?
* Does it integrate with the calendar on iOS/Android/Windows?
* If so, If I update the event, will it update the calendar too?

So for android or pc it will be on iCloud.com (you can use apple invites there)

The event doesn’t seams to appear in the calendar unfortunately.

 

[erinsarah]

I thought I’d play with it, I have iCloud+, ios18.3, and I have yet to figure out how to get past this.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Amazing their services revenue continues to grow with how bad they are at services

the ecosystem is a powerful tool (and lock-in, in many ways)

 

[Etc_]

Oh great, another application which showcases how easy it is with Apple's current development frameworks to create engaging applications across all of the three major Apple platforms, iOS, iPadOS and macOS... oh wait...

Exactly! The same goes for Journals, which would benefit greatly from being available on macOS or iPadOS. Do they not use their own products and services? I think the iPad is just a photo prop in Tim Cook’s office whenever he does another fluff interview.

 

[bluespark]

I'm just here to say that this is one hell of a good icon design.

 

[AppleFan94]

This app is also iPhone only. Apple really hates the iPad.

Apple is in the same situation with iPad they were in with the Mac several years ago. They have no idea why the iPad exists, who iPad is marketed towards, and who is buying them. Makes you wish for appleOS and MacPad sooner rather than later to clean up this mess of a product line.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Do they not use their own products and services?

Tim claimed he uses every Apple product ... every single day

🙄

(I can't eye roll hard enough or long enough for that bit of total BS)

 

[Astuces iOS]

Apple is in the same situation with iPad they were in with the Mac several years ago. They have no idea why the iPad exists, who iPad is marketed towards, and who is buying them. Makes you wish for appleOS and MacPad sooner rather than later to clean up this mess of a product line.

Um I have an iPad… which is cool since it’s more portable but I have the Mac for big task ! But anyways they could have made journal, apple sports and apple invites on the iPad come on guys come on…

 

[0049190]

I'm an iCloud+ subscriber running iOS 18.3 on an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I can't find Invite anywhere. I've searched the App Store, Settings and my iPhone.

You have highlighted a common problem. I often find it difficult to find a specific app on the AppStore search even if I know it’s name. I find it quicker to Google it and use the link from there. It’s a ridiculous situation that Apple still hasn’t addressed. AppStore search has always been terrible.

 

[Driesdk]

Just tried it, the invitees with a link have to verify their e-mail adres. Makes sense probably. But they only can do this by making an iCloud account. Am I missing something here?

Sorry, I’m not gonna force the guests of my party to signup for an iCloud account if they want to come to my party.

I’ll just send them an email instead.
I really don’t get it.

 

[cateye]

I gotta say, watching all the the Apple news sites submissively line up their breathless posts about an invitation app is just (chef's kiss).

I mean, I get why we're all here. I'm not trying to be holier-than-thou. But sometimes the satire is just ever so close to the surface.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Tim claimed he uses every Apple product ... every single day

🙄

(I can't eye roll hard enough or long enough for that bit of total BS)

I may use iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch everyday (almost) but I don’t use AirPods everyday hahaha

 

[BJMRamage]

this is strange to me...I feel this could have been an add-on to the Calendars app. When creating an Event, if could just ask "would you like to create an invitation?" and then proceed to do what this app does. /'

Maybe this creates bloat to a streamlined app, maybe some wouldn't need this and would never "waste" space on their phone for it...now to take it one step further besides downloading ANOTHER app, I can only CREATE an invite as a subscriber to Apple iCloud+...ridiculous.

that said, I downloaded it and started to create a test event. the app has great features for location with map, weather info...Music and Photos capabilities (perhaps this is why it is tied to iCould+but can't you JUST have iCloud+ for storage and not Music?)

We have family get-togethers and everyone now has an iPhone so this could be really nice. BUT, only our family has iCloud+ so, it only really works for the parties at OUR house. Bummer Apple, Bummer.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Um I have an iPad… which is cool since it’s more portable but I have the Mac for big task ! But anyways they could have made journal, apple sports and apple invites on the iPad come on guys come on…

No Journal app, on iPad, is so bizarre

Like ... hello Apple ... people might like to use the Apple Pencil and "write in their journal"?

 

[orbital~debris]

I’ve installed on my iPhone 16 Pro Max and Apple Invites seems to be a lovely little app. Nice icon, too.

The design is clean and modern Apple aesthetic, with a tiny hint of previous efforts by Apple in this space or adjacent (.mac iCards and Apple Cards).

I would love it if this app and other iPhone-only apps – such as Journal – came to macOS, iPadOS (and maybe watchOS), but I wonder if Apple goes with iPhone only initially, as its premier operating system, as well as to gauge demand for potential expansion.

 

[everlast3434]

Well at least the icon is kinda cute!

 

[Eminemdrdre00]

iPhone only, just like Sports. What about Grandma who only has an iPad?!

 

[Etc_]

No Journal app, on iPad, is so bizarre

Like ... hello Apple ... people might like to use the Apple Pencil and "write in their journal"?

I’d love to hear their BS PR answer and reasoning if someone asked them why Journals isn’t available on the iPad.

 

[turbineseaplane]

iPhone only, just like Sports. What about Grandma who only has an iPad?!

What about anyone who has an iPad in addition to their iPhone?

How can a multi TRILLION dollar company be this slow and inept?

Is it really this hard to release iPad versions of their own software?

Maybe that should tell them something about how cooked the iPad is in that case

 

[cateye]

I’d love to hear their BS PR answer and reasoning if someone asked them why Journals isn’t available on the iPad.

The intern that wrote it was busy working on the Invites app.

 

[macdaddy43]

Think about every app, service, feature that Apple has rolled out over the last few years, all of them are designed to lock you in and eventually start extracting recurring subscription revenue from you:

iCloud+ Storage - Subscription revenue
Satellite SMS - Eventually subscription revenue
Apple Intelligence - Eventually subscription revenue
Journal App - Lock in
Passwords App - Lock in
Apple Wallet - Lock in
Health App - Lock in
Apple Music - Lock in
Invites - Lock in
iMessage - Lock in
Airtags - Lock in (if I bought a bunch of airtags and they only work with apple devices, guess what I am not going to buy an android phone)

 

[j26]

Reading the announcement, it just looks like a vehicle to drive iCloud+ subscriptions - about a third or the press release is dedicated to that.

My guess is people will use it once, the RSVP rate will be low if attendees have to jump though hoops to reply, so many people won't use it a second time.