The Apple Invites app is a brand-new addition for iPhone users that debuted last month. It provides a creative and enjoyable way to design and distribute event invitations, featuring excellent integrations with Apple Photos and Apple Music. Here are five key features of the Invites app that you might want to explore.
Easily duplicate event invites
If you frequently host similar gatherings—like a book club, happy hour, or business meeting—you can swiftly create a new invite by duplicating an existing one.
Simply open the event you wish to replicate, click the three dots in the top-right corner, and select Duplicate.
Note that the guest list from the original event won’t transfer over, so you’ll need to re-add recipients. However, duplicating the event gives you a solid starting point for the new invite.
Tailor your notifications
By enabling push notifications for the Invites app, Apple allows you to further customize the types of notifications you receive through five different options. Tap on your profile picture in the app’s top-right corner, go to Push Notifications, and you’ll find toggles for the following notification categories:
- Events you’re hosting
- Events you’re invited to
- Recommendations
- New features and tips
- Offers
If you prefer to receive email alerts instead (or in addition), there’s an option for that too. By clicking on your profile picture, you will find the Email Updates menu, where you can toggle email alerts for events you’re hosting and/or events you’ve been invited to.
Privacy options for events
Apple provides various privacy-focused features within the Invites app, allowing you to:
- Require RSVP approval for all guests before confirmation
- Keep key details hidden until guests are confirmed, including location, guest list, event background image, and more
- Create one-time-use invites tailored for specific guests or a universal link that works for everyone
Additionally, when receiving an invite, your personal contact information remains concealed from other guests, and you can select how your name and photo are displayed.
Permissions for special guests
Like one would expect from an app like Invites, Apple allows you to manage whether guests can invite others to the event.
The Invites app goes a step further. Beyond the general invite permissions applicable to all guests, you can specify certain individuals who are allowed to invite their own guests. This can be set by accessing the guest list, tapping the three dots next to a name, and selecting ‘Allow to invite others.’
Prepare drafts in advance and save your progress
Do you prefer planning in advance? The Apple Invites app accommodates that nicely. When crafting new invites, you don’t have to dispatch them immediately. Instead, you can create as many drafts as you like and save them for later use.
When you’re set to send, simply navigate to the Drafts section of the app, make any last-minute adjustments, and then send out your invite.
If you finalize an invite but wish to schedule it for a later time, the scheduling features from Apple’s Messages and Mail apps will assist you.
Summary of Apple Invites app features
For a newly launched app, Apple Invites is remarkably feature-rich. There’s always room for additional features in the future, such as enhanced app integrations (perhaps cost-splitting with Wallet?). Nevertheless, what’s available in this initial release is commendable and adequately fulfills the essential requirements most users will have, and even more.
What features of Apple Invites have you enjoyed the most? Share your thoughts in the comments.
