• by Colin Kirkland , February 4, 2025

With its newest app, “Invites,” Apple is looking to capitalize on the success of newer event-planning apps, like Partiful, which Google named its “app of the year” in 2024.

According to the App Store description, Invites aims to “bring people together,” allowing users to customize digital invitations with photos and emojis via Apple's Image Playground, as well as relevant information from Apple Maps and Weather apps.

Like Partiful, invited guests will receive a link on their chosen messaging app, with the option to RSVP in the Invites iPhone app and then receive updates from the party host. Guests can also contribute to collaborative playlists via Apple Music and shared photo albums shared by the host.

Users can also leverage Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools to compose invitations -- further highlighting Apple's strategic move to persuade current users of their services and apps to migrate away from Partiful and other event-planning apps like Posh and evite, for a potentially more seamless experience.

However, only those who subscribe to iCloud Plus -- which starts at 99 cents per month -- and have an iPhone iOS 18 and up can create invites within the app.

Limited accessibility could hurt Apple's chances of competing with apps like Partiful, which gained widespread popularity since it was founded in 2020.

Furthermore, as of November 2024, data from analytics firm Appfigures showed that 95% of Partiful's 1,077,358 downloads over the past year were made on Apple's App Store.

With 92% of Partiful's App Store downloads based in the U.S., Invites may find greater success in other regions.