Apple Invitations is a devoted iPhone app that “brings folks collectively for all times’s particular moments.” Against this, Calendar is a boring productiveness app primarily aimed toward work and enterprise. Let’s check out the methods wherein the 2 apps differ.
1
Apple Invitations Is iPhone-Solely
Apple Invitations has a devoted iPhone app. Unusually sufficient, it’s unavailable on iPads, Macs, and different Apple units. It’s possible you’ll suppose that it doesn’t matter since you all the time have your iPhone on you, however I’d truly choose to create invites on a much bigger display.
Distinction Invitations with the built-in Calendar app, which is accessible on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Imaginative and prescient Professional. Each providers are additionally out there at icloud.com/calendar and icloud.com/invites on any gadget with an online browser with out putting in something. The net app helps all of the options of its native counterpart, together with creating and enhancing invites.
2
Apple Invitations Is Restricted to iOS 18
Apple Invitations solely runs on iPhones that are compatible with iOS 18 and can’t be used on older {hardware} like iPhone X. The Calendar app, alternatively, is accessible on a variety of iPhones relationship again to iOS 10, together with the unique iPhone SE and iPhone 5.
The iOS 18 requirement restricts Invitations to iPhones launched from 2018 onwards.
3
Apple Invitations Is Not Constructed-In
Apple Invitations just isn’t bundled with iOS 18 and should be manually downloaded from the App Store, that means of us who don’t learn tech blogs could not notice why they might want such an app of their lives. Apple could be clever to place the Invitations app on tons of of tens of millions of House Screens in future iOS releases to cut back friction related to downloading.
4
Apple Invitations Requires a Subscription
Apple Invitations is free to make use of, however creating invites requires an iCloud+ subscription, which incorporates different perks reminiscent of enhanced privateness options. Subsequently, to make use of Invitations, you’ll want to purchase not less than 50 GB of iCloud storage for $1/month. And if you happen to cease paying, you’ll lose the flexibility to create new invites. That’s one approach to make iCloud+ extra compelling, Apple!
5
Apple Invitations Helps Music and Photos
Apple Invitations is built-in with the Apple ecosystem together with options reminiscent of images and music. You’ll be able to embed a shared album in your invite (with out an iCloud+ subscription), and attendees can contribute images and movies to it to visually doc the occasion.
Sadly, company want a free iCloud account to even view footage within the shared album, not to mention add their very own. And that’s disappointing on condition that sharing occasion images is maybe Apple Invitations’ largest draw.
One other factor you’ll be able to add is a collaborative Apple Music playlist that company can entry from throughout the invitation. Nevertheless, an Apple Music profile is required so as to add music to the invite. Furthermore, your folks want an Apple Music subscription to hearken to your playlist; in any other case, they’ll solely hearken to 60-second previews.
These necessities make Apple Invitations much less interesting to folks exterior the Apple ecosystem, like your folks on Android and Home windows. The built-in Calendar app, alternatively, lacks bells and whistles—you can’t add picture albums or music to your occasions—however not less than it doesn’t require that company have a paid subscription to view shared occasions.
6
Apple Invitations Lets Non-Apple House owners RSVP
Whereas a paid iCloud+ subscription is required to create occasions within the Invitations app, anybody can RSVP while not having an Apple gadget or account. That’s nice; you don’t wish to give your Android or Home windows associates work to do. The recipient simply clicks a hyperlink to open the invite on the iCloud web site. They don’t want an iPhone to be able to get in, however should enter their electronic mail tackle and a verification code emailed to them.
Apple Calendar and Invitations assist sharing invites by way of electronic mail or direct hyperlinks. Nevertheless, some third-party electronic mail suppliers could not assist including calendar invites from Apple units.
Nevertheless, Android and Home windows customers could also be unable to RSVP immediately from electronic mail, wherein case they’ll see an “Add to Calendar” button as an alternative of an RSVP button with the “Going,” “Not Going,” and “Possibly” choices. The occasion organizer sees these responses within the Invitations app.
Non-Apple customers visiting your invitation in a browser can obtain the occasion file (ICS) so as to add it to their designated calendar app. Not like Apple Calendar, the Invitations app lets the occasion organizer allow particular company so as to add their very own company to the occasion. Each apps assist sending updates to invitees after the occasion is created.
7
Apple Invitations Pairs with Maps and Climate
The Invitations app integrates with different ecosystem options, like Apple Maps and Climate. Each Apple Calendar and Invitations allow you to add a location like an tackle, landmark, or enterprise identify to an invite, which might be tapped to point out instructions within the Maps app. Nevertheless, the Invitations app additionally reveals projected climate forecasts for that location on that day.
Climate forecast in Calendar is restricted to the Mac model of the app.
8
Apple Invitations Makes use of Picture Playground
Apple Invitations allows you to use Picture Playground on the iPhone 16 lineup to leverage Apple Intelligence’s AI picture creation. In case you don’t like bundled backgrounds or don’t wish to use your personal pictures, hit the Playground possibility when enhancing the background. Picture Playground allows you to create customized invite pictures from ideas, descriptions, and folks in your library, utilizing easy prompts reminiscent of “Dante carrying an octopus as an alternative of a celebration hat.”
Each Apple Calendar and Invitations allow you to use Apple Intelligence’s Writing Instruments to create fascinating occasion descriptions. Contact and maintain an empty space within the occasion description area, then swipe the bubble menu to decide on “Writing Instruments.”
9
Apple Invitations Has Beautiful Occasion Templates
The built-in Calendar app is boring so far as calendars go. Although not a full-blown Calendar alternative, Invitations allows you to create visually gorgeous invites with little effort by selecting from built-in occasion templates appropriate for various events.
10
Apple Invitations Has Privateness Options
Apple Invitations consists of privateness options not present in Calendar, together with limiting the background picture, visitor checklist, occasion location, and extra till company have opened the invitation with a verified electronic mail tackle or a non-public hyperlink. These options forestall others who could have been forwarded the general public hyperlink from seeing anybody’s private info on the invitation.
Not like Apple Calendar, the Invitations app helps one-time hyperlinks for added privateness.
Apple Invitations additionally offers company management over their personal info. They’ll select which particulars present as much as others and the way their identify and profile picture are exhibited to different company. The app by no means reveals company’ private contact info to others. Each Apple Calendar and Invitations let attendees go away an occasion at any time or report it as spam.
To this point, there was little overlap between Apple Calendar and Apple Invitations as every serves a distinct function. The previous is filled with productiveness options, making it appropriate for all use instances, together with enterprise. Then again, the Invitations app allows you to create events, send out invitations, and manage responses in enjoyable methods with enticing outcomes.
Integrations of Pictures, Music, Maps, Climate, Calendar, and Picture Playground makes Apple Invitations a robust competitor to third-party choices such because the platform-agnostic and utterly free Partiful. Apple Invitations is simply getting began, and we anticipate to see enhancements in future updates to the app, together with extra ecosystem integrations.