Invitations is a brand new free app by Apple. Here is how one can use it.

Apple‘s bought a brand new app. Launched seemingly out of nowhere earlier this week, Apple Invitations is a free app, accessible on the App Retailer, that permits you to create colourful invitations to occasions that you would be able to share with family and friends.

The app may be very easy to make use of. Select a background, set a title and site to your occasion, and you can begin sending it to potential friends.

Whereas the app is free to make use of and anybody can freely obtain invitations, one caveat is that you would be able to solely ship invitations you probably have a paid iCloud+ account. It is a bummer, nevertheless it makes some sense as storing the invitations within the cloud does eat space for storing. Apple iCloud+ accounts begin at $0.99 per thirty days, and Apple now lists Invitations as one of many advantages of subscribing to iCloud+ (others embody Disguise My Electronic mail, HomeKit Safe Video, and iCloud Personal Relay, in addition to extra storage to your knowledge).

Apple Invitations: The way it works

To create a brand new invite, hit the “+” button within the higher proper nook of the Apple Invitations app. Begin with including a background; Apple helps you to select from pre-defined choices which embody emoji-themed, photographic, and colourful backgrounds, however you may as well use a photograph out of your iPhone’s library or take a photograph along with your digital camera, utilizing the buttons within the prime left of the “Add Background” menu.

Subsequent, set a title to your occasion, select date and time, and choose a location, which you are able to do by looking out actual world places — and you’ll add an non-compulsory title to your location, which is beneficial if it is your own home.

You may as well add an occasion description with a 1,000 character restrict, and the host’s title. Lastly, you possibly can create a photograph album, in addition to an Apple Music playlist, and share it with individuals.

It isn’t an actual occasion. Please don’t present up.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

When you’re completed, you possibly can invite friends by making a shareable hyperlink. And if it’s good to ship an replace associated to the occasion to your friends — comparable to detailed entry directions or the truth that all of the shrimp cocktails are sadly, already gone — you are able to do that by way of the “Send a Note” button.

Apple Invitations: Ideas and tips

All the above is fairly simple, and I am positive you will not have any points creating and sharing your occasion. However the app does have a few further options which might be simple to overlook.

For instance, faucet on an present occasion within the app, after which faucet on the three dots menu within the higher proper nook. From there, you possibly can duplicate the occasion, which is useful once you’re internet hosting repeating occasions, for instance a Pokémon-themed pub quiz in your basement each Wednesday.

Some superior choices are hidden in Occasion Settings.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

For extra choices, hit Occasion Settings from the identical menu. There, you possibly can select whether or not friends want your approval earlier than they will be part of the occasion. You may as well select to solely present the background picture to friends after they’ve opened the invitation with a verified e-mail tackle (perhaps you do not simply need anybody to see how nice your basement is). For individuals who use a display screen reader, you possibly can present an outline of your invitation’s background.

Lastly, you may as well cancel and delete the occasion, in addition to pause replies (for the final time, there will not be free beer, of us, and I cannot entertain any additional inquiries).

There are a number of different, considerably hidden privateness choices within the app, too. For instance, as soon as there is a group of friends coming, you possibly can grant a few of them the flexibility to ask their very own friends to the occasion. Helpful.

Sorry of us, this occasion just isn’t for everybody.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Additionally, once you invite friends, you possibly can create a public hyperlink that enables anybody to hitch the occasion, however you may as well simply invite particular person folks with one-off hyperlinks.

Apple Invitations: Customizing your notifications

While you’re internet hosting occasions — particularly in the event that they’re large, and if you happen to’re internet hosting a couple of — issues can get messy quick. Apple Invitations lets you get push notifications about occasions, however fortuitously, it additionally helps you to be fairly granular in the case of selecting which kinds of notifications you wish to see.

You would possibly wish to superb tune these.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Faucet in your profile picture within the Invitations app, and hit Push Notifications. From right here, you possibly can select whether or not you solely wish to see notifications for occasions you are internet hosting, or occasions you are invited to.

You may as well select whether or not you wish to see Apple’s updates with suggestions, new options and ideas, and affords associated to the app.

Go a step again, and you’ll set whether or not you wish to obtain e-mail updates about occasions you are internet hosting, or are invited to. That is unrelated to push notifications, and you’ll have each on or off on the identical time.

Apple Invitations: Easy methods to get it

This one is straightforward. Apple Invitations is a free obtain at Apple’s App Retailer. It requires iOS 18 or later, and also you do want an iCloud+ account with a purpose to ship invitations.