Testing Out “Apple Invites”

Earlier this week, Apple released its anticipated app Invites. Excited about quickly connecting friends and family by easily creating custom invitations, we had to check it out for ourselves. 

Full disclosure: I love my iPhone and enjoy many of the features and apps Apple offers. So, I was excited to play around with Invites. 

The Upside To Apple Invites

Let me start with the things that I really liked about this new app:

• Very easy to use. Straightforward and not difficult to figure out. 
• Love that you can incorporate your own photos for the background image, but also have the option to use templates or add stock images.
• Information is easily input.
• You can include a summary about the event so guests know more specifics. 
• You can link a photo album so guests can upload their own images from the event. This makes it simple to share special memories from the day, all in one place! 
• Love making a shared playlist for everyone to enjoy. This would be so fun for a themed birthday party where people can be creative with their song choices. 
• Easily track RSVPs, making it a breeze to keep track of numbers and plan accordingly. 

I mocked up a quick but cute invite for my dog Indie’s fourth birthday. I have to say I thought it was looked pretty awesome.

In less than 5 minutes, I put together the event and it was ready to be shared with friends and family. 

Or so I thought…

A Significant Downside

In order to send my invite, which is the whole point of the app, a subscription to iCloud+ is necessary. While it might not be a significant cost, I am not interested in adding another payment to my credit card. I was bummed to say the least. 

With the hype of this app, I would have loved to see it available for Apple users free of charge. This is a really great option to send out a quick invite for a variety of occasions. However, my invites will not be released into the world unless Apple decides to change its mind and remove the subscription requirement.

Have you tried out Apple Invites, or was your creative freedom halted by the subscription as well? Find us on social media, and share your thoughts with us. Be sure to stay tuned for more tech tips and reviews from the Digital Link team!