With the new year just beginning, Apple seems to be working on a new iOS app called Invites, possibly to compete with services such as Evite or Partiful. While details are scarce, it looks like this app might offer a way to send invites for different kinds of events, whether they’re happening in person or online.
Early reports from testing of iOS 18.3 beta 2 code by 9to5Mac suggest that Apple is exploring a new approach to sharing event invites. The app could be tied to iCloud, potentially even having a version accessible through iCloud.com.
Visually pleasing invites now right from your iPhone
Even though Apple already lets users send invites through the Calendar app for things such as meetings, the rumored Invites app might bring a new way to send invites. It could provide a way to share event details in a visually pleasing manner, along with a list of guests, perfect for occasions such as birthdays, weddings, class reunions, or company-wide events.
Reports hint that Apple might be using a new internal framework called GroupKit to handle groups such as invitees, and there’s rumours of a possible mini app for iMessage to link to the Invites app. As of now, there is no official information from Apple about when users might be able to test out the new Invites app.
Apple Intelligence: A half-baked product
iOS 18 is touted as the release that set the base for artificial intelligence (AI) features for Apple. In 2024, the company introduced Apple Intelligence, its take on the AI trend in the industry. While Apple Intelligence has not proved to be practically useful, some users even reported that features such as messages summarization prove to be disarrayed.
Apple is known for being late to introducing new technologies but usually the delay results in refined products, compared to offerings from competition. However, that does not seem to be the case with Apple Intelligence. Hopefully, that changes with the upcoming iOS versions.
