Apple’s New ‘Invites’ App: A First Look

So, Apple just dropped a new app called Apple Invites—which, funnily enough, was rumoured to be called Confetti before launch. Naturally, as someone who has always been interested (read: notoriously bad) at calendaring and event planning, I had to check it out.

The premise is simple: it’s an iOS app with cloud support that lets you set up and send event invites. But from the overall feel of the app, it’s clearly aimed at the personal space rather than professional or business use.

Now, if you’ve followed discussions around calendars and event planning, you’ll know this is still an open market—fragmented by ecosystems. Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft… they all have their own systems, and if you live outside Apple’s walled garden, it’s not clear how well this will work for you.

Since I’m already inside the ecosystem, I can’t tell how seamless (or frustrating) it will be for others.

First Impressions?

Honestly—neutral. There’s nothing groundbreaking here. It’s a nice, polished version of a regular calendar invite, with some extra flair:

✅ You can add an image

✅ There’s playlist integration

✅ The map function is fine

What’s Missing?

I was really hoping this would replace those messy "let's-find-a-date-that-works-for-everyone" services (Doodle, etc.). But nope—it’s still based on me setting up an event and sending invites, rather than a more collaborative scheduling tool.

So if you were hoping for Apple to fix the eternal group scheduling nightmare, this isn't it.

How Does It Compare to WhatsApp's Voting Module?

WhatsApp already offers an invite system within group chats that includes a built-in voting feature, discussion thread, and the ability to seamlessly move from decision-making to an invite.

This makes the process much more interactive, allowing participants to collectively decide on a time and location before finalising the event. In contrast, Apple Invites feels more like a one-way street—the organiser sets the time and details, and others simply accept or decline. If you're looking for a truly collaborative planning tool, WhatsApp (or external tools like Doodle) might still be the better option.

I’m still curious where Apple takes this, though. Maybe tighter iMessage and Calendar integration? A real-time scheduling feature? Something social? For now, it’s fine—but nothing that’s making me rethink how I plan events.

If you’ve tried it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Is this a useful addition or just another app that’ll collect dust in a folder? Drop a comment!