First major update for Apple's new invitations app
Apple has taken a look at its recently introduced Invites app and released update 1.1. But what are the new features?
Invite app aka invitations from Apple on the iPhone: part of iCloud+.
(Image: Apple)
Apple has given its Invites app, first released in February, its first point release. Following mini-updates shortly after the release – 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 –, version 1.1 is now available for download. Despite the larger version number increase, Apple does not provide any information on what has been optimized. It simply states succinctly that there are "bug fixes and performance improvements". Apple has therefore not added any missing features such as the ability to allow users without an Apple account to accept invitations.
What invitations can do
The iPhone company had given its iCloud+ customers another goodie in the form of invitations. Only these – if they pay at least 99 cents a month for the subscription – can create new parties, events and other functions in the app. These can then be viewed via the app (only on the iPhone) or on the web (via iCloud.com). If a person wants to accept, they must create an Apple account. Although this is not uncommon with competitor apps, it is usually easier to manage, as is the case with direct competitor Partiful, which is also available for Android. In addition, not everyone intends to use iCloud.
The Invites app is otherwise well-designed: it offers an attractive and easy-to-understand interface, allows invitations to be designed in a graphically appealing way and can even have a shared playlist for the party (if people have Apple Music). There is also a shared photo album for each event, if you so wish. However, Apple has not yet implemented survey tools for scheduling and/or clarifying important questions such as food supply at the event.
Released to coincide with iOS 18.4
Apple Invitations 1.1 is available just in time for the release of iOS 18.4, which brings Apple Intelligence to Germany, among other things. Accordingly, one would have expected matching functions. The app already supports Apple's in-house image generators such as Image Playground, now also in German.
It is conceivable that Apple is preparing further innovations with the update, which will then be added to the app itself via the Internet. Large parts of the invitations app already come from the Apple server anyway, as the iCloud.com version and the app are similar.
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(bsc)