Apple Invites: is this the return of Facebook parties from 2011?
Apple recently launched a new app that allows you to invite guests to your events, parties or other occasions. It’s totally unnecessary.
Writing a card, calling, creating a chat, setting a date in your calendar – there are many ways to invite people. Yet another one is the Apple Invites app. Plus, you have to pay for it.
Stylish calendar app
Once again, Apple’s living up to its name of being late to the party but making things look nice in return. Remember when Facebook party invites sparked mayhem back in 2011 (article in German)? It’s a feature that’s somewhat fallen into oblivion. Now, Apple wants to make sending invitations via app socially acceptable again and aims to make people even more dependent on its own ecosystem.
The app allows you to create events in typical Apple fashion: choose a title, set a time and place, add a stylish background image and then invite people via a link. You can even share the link publicly and then accept or decline the confirmations. You can even add a playlist from Apple Music to set the mood or create an album in Apple Photos, so all guests can add pictures. This is likely to prove particularly interesting after the party.
Source: Jan Johannsen
Sure, this all looks fancy, but the app isn’t just superfluous, it also has its flaws. For example, the date of your event won’t automatically pop up in the standard iOS calendar app. When there are already so many options to send out invitations, there’s really no need for yet another app that’s basically just a fancier version of a calendar app. Not to mention the fact that it’s really confusing when you’re managing more than five events.
Sending invitations costs money
Anyone who has the app can accept Apple invitations. But you can only create invitations if you’re paying for iCloud+. This means Apple’s offering added value to those customers. If you’re not a paying customer yet, you’ll be pushed further into the Apple ecosystem.
My verdict? Apple Invites is a pretty but superfluous gimmick.
Header image: Jan Johannsen
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As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
