A week ago, Apple made an unexpected move by unveiling a new app and service known as Invites. Curiously, this launch has drawn a surprising amount of criticism regarding Apple’s app strategy, almost as if the company were under the same scrutiny as Google.
Google has gained a reputation for rolling out new apps and services that often vanish or get merged into other offerings. Google Podcasts is a recent example, but there exists a vast array of similar cases in its history.
This trend has seemingly been applied to Apple following the introduction of the Invites app. But does Apple truly leave its so-called hobby apps behind?
Not just lifeless apps
Over the past year, Apple has consistently updated its Sports app. The prevailing view is that the Sports app has steadily evolved, earning a loyal following among users. Many want a widget for the app, and despite lacking a paid feature, it certainly doesn’t show signs of neglect.
The Journal app made its debut with iOS 17.2 in December 2023. Less than a year later, it saw the arrival of version 2.0 in iOS 18, introducing numerous new features. These include sought-after search and sort capabilities, audio transcripts, rich text formatting, Home screen and Lock screen widgets, mindfulness tracking, a new insights feature, and the ability to export or print PDFs. The most glaring omission? An iPad version — not a lack of updates.
Apple Music Classical launched initially as an iPhone-only app before integrating an iPad app in version 1.1. Four months ago, Apple released version 1.0, which included album booklets for thousands of albums. More recently, compatibility with CarPlay and Siri was introduced.
Music Memos ended, but not entirely
How about Music Memos? Apple discovered that musicians were utilizing Voice Memos to create recordings for their released tracks. While Apple added extra features typically found in GarageBand, it became evident that artists preferred to focus on their voice and instruments, avoiding added virtual instruments.
This led to a playful app that thrived for five years, during which Apple observed how musicians found value in Voice Memos. Ultimately, Apple decided to discontinue Music Memos and enhance Voice Memos instead.
The latest update to Voice Memos now allows users to record one track with the iPhone microphone, playback via the iPhone speaker, and layer a second track without interference from the first one playing. This simple two-track feature is invaluable for songwriting with voice and guitar.
Clips thrives in educational settings
Even Apple Clips received updates — just kidding! While a single near-complete app might not indicate a trail of discarded software, Clips has found a new purpose in the classroom, bolstered by royalty-free music, exportable templates that teachers can create, and engaging features that inspire young learners.
Perhaps it’s best to leave Clips as it is while Apple develops a more user-friendly alternative to CapCut, devoid of ownership from TikTok’s ByteDance.
Apple’s so-called hobby apps exceed the narrative of being mere one-off projects helmed by summer interns. They are not simply products in Apple’s portfolio.
The future of Apple Invites likely involves seamless integration with the Calendar app’s event composer and pre-installation on new iPhones.
The success of Apple Invites hinges on its capacity to attract iCloud+ subscribers as well as the support from an executive like Eddy Cue to advocate for the product (as seen with Apple Sports).
In summary, rumors of Apple app demises are significantly overstated.
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