Apple’s new Invites app is here to help create custom invitations for any get-together. Just don’t get too excited unless you pay for iCloud.
The Invites App Creates Beautiful, Customized Invitations
Apple Invites is a free iPhone-only app, and continues to show Apple knows how to create great apps that tie together all parts of its ecosystem.
To begin, you can add an image from your own Photo Library or a background from the app’s gallery. It also integrates with Maps and Weather to give your guests directions and the weather forecast for the day of the event.
Event participants can contribute photos and videos to a dedicated Shared Album within the invite. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you can also create a collaborative soundtrack to share with attendees.
And you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that the app also makes use of Apple Intelligence. You can create images to use in the Image Playground to add to the invite. Writing Tools can also help polish the event description.
Along with the app, the feature can be accessed through the dedicated Invites section of the iCloud site.
Apple Really Wants You to Subscribe to iCloud+
On the surface, Invites looks like a perfect way to bring the age-old invitation into the modern age. I was able to create a beautiful invitation to my son’s upcoming birthday party in just a few minutes.
But there is a significant catch. You can RSVP to an invitation even without an Apple Account or Apple device. But you need an iCloud+ subscription to actually create an invitation. That’s a disappointing, but not all that surprising, issue. As Apple continues to look for growth, subscription services like iCloud+ are taking on more importance.
Sure, an iCloud+ subscription is much more than just additional storage and provides additional features like the privacy-focused Private Relay and Hide My Email. But requiring a subscription to actually create an invitation in the app will likely hinder its popularity.
If you want to give the Invites app a try, and don’t subscribe to iCloud+, a subscription starts at $0.99 per month. Take a look at all the iCloud+ plans to help you decide which one is best for you. Even so, I suspect the Invites app won’t draw many new subscribers on its own.
