Hands-On Mac 168: The Apple Invites App

Summary

Podcast Summary: Hands-On Mac 168: The Apple Invites App

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Host: Micah Sargent
Release Date: February 6, 2025

In episode 168 of Hands-On Mac, host Micah Sargent provides an in-depth exploration of Apple's newly introduced Apple Invites app. This first-look review delves into the app's features, functionality, and usability, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of how Apple is enhancing event management through its ecosystem.

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Introduction to Apple Invites

Micah Sargent kicks off the episode by introducing the Apple Invites app, highlighting its integration as an iCloud perk for subscribers. He emphasizes that the app is designed to streamline the creation and management of event invitations, making it a valuable tool for iCloud users looking to organize gatherings seamlessly.

“The Apple Invites app is essentially a way for you to create invites to events and manage people attending those events and manage a whole bunch of other features.”
[00:13]

Creating an Event

Sargent walks listeners through the process of setting up an event within the app. He demonstrates selecting a background, either from existing photos, capturing a new image, or utilizing Apple's Image Playground for custom images powered by AI.

“When we create a background, we can choose a background that is presented to us... or we can go into Image Playground... but in this case, I'm just going to choose Basic.”
[03:00]

He outlines the essential event details, such as naming the event, selecting dates and times, and choosing a location. To protect privacy, Sargent opts to select a nearby venue, "Hopscotch in Portland," as the event location.

“The event is going to be called Friendly Barbecue... starting at 6pm and we have the option to say this is an all day event or it has an end time.”
[04:30]

Shared Features

Shared Album for Photos

One standout feature discussed is the ability to create a shared photo album. This allows all participants to upload and view photos related to the event, fostering a collaborative experience.

“A shared album. So if I tap on create album then I am given the ability to create an album that everybody who participates in this RSVP... is able to upload photos.”
[05:20]

Sargent notes that while an iCloud account is not mandatory for receiving invitations, it is required for uploading photos to the shared album.

Apple Music Playlist

Another collaborative feature is the Apple Music playlist. Hosts and guests can add songs to a collective playlist, enhancing the event's ambiance with shared musical tastes.

“You can create an Apple music playlist. And of course in this case people need to have an Apple Music account in order to create a playlist.”
[05:50]

Sharing Invites

Sargent explains the various methods available for sharing invitations. Users can generate a shareable link, send invites via email or messages, and decide between individual or public sharing.

“You can choose to approve guests or just have them automatically approved whenever they are added... this is a great way to make sure that guests are approved.”
[07:10]

He demonstrates sending an invite to himself, illustrating the approval process and how recipients can join the event seamlessly, even if they are not on an Apple device.

Managing Invites

Guest Approval Settings

The app offers robust controls over guest management. Hosts can toggle settings to approve each guest manually, limit the number of additional guests (plus ones), and manage the visibility of event details until approval.

“You can choose if people can bring plus ones. So you can say it's you plus one guest, you plus two guests... whether the background preview is shown without their being approved.”
[09:30]

Event Settings

Additional settings allow hosts to duplicate, cancel, or delete events as needed. The pause replies feature temporarily disables RSVPs, providing flexibility in event management.

“You can duplicate the event, you can cancel the event, you can pause replies... and then you can also delete the event.”
[10:50]

Recipient’s Experience

Sargent narrates the recipient's journey from receiving an invite to participating in the event's collaborative features. Upon accepting an invitation, guests can view event details, RSVP, and engage with shared albums and playlists.

“I am able to select what all gets shared. So do I have my full name, do I include my profile picture or just initials... and then last but not least, my contact information is only able to be viewed by the host.”
[12:00]

He showcases adding comments and uploading photos to the shared album, ensuring that the collaborative aspect of the event is both user-friendly and accessible.

Limitations and Compatibility

While Apple Invites offers extensive features, Sargent points out certain limitations based on subscription levels and account requirements. Creating invites necessitates an iCloud subscription, and interacting with specific features like photo uploads and music playlists requires corresponding Apple services and accounts.

“You are able to create and send out invites if you have an iCloud plus subscription... If you want to upload and interact with photos, you do need an iCloud account... interact with Apple Music playlists, you need an Apple Music account.”
[16:45]

However, he commends Apple for ensuring the app's cross-platform compatibility, allowing users on devices beyond iPhones, including Android, to participate in events.

“I love that Apple has made this possible to be used on all sorts of devices. This is not exclusive to just iPhones, so your Android friends can have just as much fun with these event invites as you can on your your iPhone.”
[17:10]

Final Thoughts

Micah Sargent wraps up the episode by summarizing the Apple Invites app's potential to revolutionize event planning within the Apple ecosystem. He highlights its user-friendly interface, collaborative features, and the seamless integration with other Apple services as standout aspects that make it a valuable tool for both hosts and guests.

“But I love that Apple has made this possible to be used on all sorts of devices.”
[16:55]

Sargent concludes by expressing enthusiasm for future updates and his appreciation for Apple’s continuous innovation in enhancing user experience.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements and non-content sections from the transcript, focusing solely on the informative segments presented by Micah Sargent.

Transcript

[Micah Sargent]

Coming up on Hands on Mac, let's take a look at Apple's just released, just announced new app, Apple Invites. This is a first look.

[Unknown]

Podcasts you.

[Micah Sargent]

Love from people you trust. This is Twitter. Hello and welcome to Hands on Mac. I am Micah Sargent and today we are taking a look at the new Apple Invites app, an icloud perk available for icloud subscribers to use and create invites and anyone else to be able to receive invites. So let's talk about what we're working with here. So here we are on iOS and this new app is essentially a way for you to create invites to events and manage people attending those events and manage a whole bunch of other features. So we're going to kind of go through them as we take a first look at this app. But when I first launched this app, this is what I'm presented with now. It's important to understand that in order to create invites, you need to have an icloud subscription. So creating and sending, I should say invites is part of an icloud subscription. As Apple points out, subscriptions start at as low as 99 cents a month. But if you have an icloud subscription, you get to make them. You can send them to whomever because this is not just an app but also a web app essentially. And so if you are sending it to someone who doesn't have an icloud account, doesn't have an iPhone, they are able to still access the invite. Even in those cases, if you are sending it to an iPhone and the person downloads the Apple Invites app, that's going to be kind of the best, most, you know, viewer experience. But there are those other options available and in fact 9 to 5, Google has an article showing how Apple Invites work on Android which we'll include a link to in the show notes so you can kind of see what that's like. But let's go about creating an event. So first and foremost we have the option to add a background. And when we create a background, we can choose a background that is presented to us. We can pull from our photos, we can take a photo with the camera, or we can go, excuse me, into Image Playground. Image Playground of course, lets you use Apple's artificial intelligence, its AI or Apple intelligence tools to create a custom image. But in this case I'm just going to choose Basic. We'll go with a green color for the background. Now the event is going to be called Friendly Barbecue and we can change the typeface that's used here. We choose a date and time this is going to take place on Friday, February 21st starting at 6pm and we have the option to say this is an all day event or it has an end time. So we'll say it goes from 6 to 8pm and then we can choose a location which I'm going to switch away for just a moment to protect my specific location and we'll come back. So I'll tap on location and I can choose something nearby. I'm trying to think what's nearby. There's a place called Hopscotch in Portland and so we'll choose that and so let me move back here. So I've selected Hopscotch as the location and I can tap done. And you can see that that now has been added to the event. It says that it's hosted by me. When I add a description, I can use Apple's writing tools to better create the description or I can just write it myself. So I could say join together for a delicious meal of BBQ and all the fixins and that's like that. And then of course hosted by me. So I'll tap done there. In fact I might actually change that to just be my first name and you can see that my image is included what the weather is going to be like on that day. It will tell you that and then the directions to the place as well as the ability to create. And I think this is what's so cool, a shared album. So if I tap on create album then I am given the ability to create an album that everybody who participates in this rsvp, this invite is able to upload photos. Now importantly, you do not need an iPhone, but you do need an icloud account to view and upload photos. It doesn't count against your own icloud storage or anything like that, it just gets uploaded. But you do need to have that icloud account in order for that to work. So just bear in mind that that is the case when you are choosing to create an album. So once I've created that, everybody who participates, and I think this is what really sets it apart, can create or rather can share photos to this album. And so you can say you know, any photos that you take that day, go ahead and add those to the library. And then last but not least, you can also create an Apple music playlist. And of course in this case people need to have an Apple Music account in order to create a playlist. So I'm going to call it the Friendly Barbecue Playlist. We'll tap done and now There's a new Apple Music playlist that people can add music to, there's a shared album that people can add photos to, and there's all of the location information as well. So I'm actually going to edit the background now and I am going to use Playground to create a repeating background.

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[Micah Sargent]

Let's go a repeating pixel background and see what that does because I kind of want it to be in the style of the emoji stuff and it whoops, I forgot to add it there. So we've got friendly barbecue as one of the kind of cues and it doesn't seem to be creating that for me. So I'm just going to remove that and stick with the original image here of this odd meat as the image and then I can choose preview. This shows me what the invite will look like for people. Friendly barbecue Friday, February 21st 6 to 8pm at Hopscotch in Portland. The weather, the directions, adding photos and then of course the playlist as well. And you can choose I'm going, I'm not going or maybe I'll tap next and now it's creating that invitation and now I have the ability to share a link to this invite, copy the link to the invite, mail out the link to the invite, send a message to the link with the invite. And when you do this, you have the option to approve guests or just have them automatically approved whenever they are added. So if you're creating a more public invite or you're worried that maybe your friend of a friend of a friend might send it to their friend of a friend, this is a great way to make sure that guests are approved. You can choose to invite individuals. This is a one time link, so it's specific to them as opposed to creating that more public link that is shared across multiple people. And then you have in the actually let me go ahead and turn on approve guests. And so that way if someone were to get an invite, then they need to be approved and I'm gonna send one to myself, but I'm gonna move away from the camera for a second just in case it tries to show people's phone numbers, which we don't want it to do. So what I'll do is I will add Micah Twit, which of course is the work account that I have and I will share that so I can show you what this looks like. Now I can share that via messages directly to Micah Twit and now Micah Twit will have that. And I can turn on of course notifications for this. If you are on a device that does not have if you're on a device that does not have the app, notifications will be sent to you via email. So you will still receive updates to the invite even if you are not a user of the actual app. App. I'm looking to see if I got the invite. Aha. That just came through. So now I'm going to tap on that invite and it pulls up on iCloud.com for me and of course prompts me to bring to get the Apple Invites app. And I am going to try and approve this so that we can see what it looks like when a person has joined. Now of course at any time I can tap those three dots next to the person who hasn't responded. I can view their information, I can decide whether they are allowed to invite others. That's if you don't use that public link and then of course remove from the event. So if you decide, no, I actually don't want this person to be part of the event, then you can take them and remove them. While that continues to load for the Micah Twit phone. I want to show you one more thing which is in the top right corner we have some different settings. So here we can choose if people can bring plus ones. So you can say it's you plus one guest, you plus two guests, all the way up to five, whether again whether again you are choosing to approve guests or not. So they can't join the event unless they've been approved, whether the background preview is shown without their being approved. So basically the invitation will not have any photo or anything like that until they are actually confirmed that they are who you think they are. And then the ability to add an image description to the background image is also here. You can duplicate the event, you can cancel the event, you can pause replies, which means that for a period of time people aren't able to respond to it. And then you can also delete the event. So of course canceling the event means that it still sticks around the event itself, but you are not making use of that event anymore versus deleting it where it goes away entirely. So I'm going to open on my device the event invite and I'm going to choose going and in it I'm able to select what all gets shared. So do I have my full name, do I include my profile picture or just initials? And then last but not least, my contact information is only able to be viewed by the host. So I will tap done on that and you can add a message to it. I'm looking forward to it and send the reply and then we should see in a moment. Yes, that has now changed to going down here at the bottom of the screen and I can choose view information and I see their contact information and their invitation link that they specifically got and that they are indeed going to the event. Now I am able to look at this and invite more guests if I want to. I can send a note to people so that says, you know, hey, I just heard that it's going to be raining on that day, so we're going to move it inside. I can also add it to my calendar very easily so that you know, you don't forget it and I'm going to cancel out of that because we won't actually be doing this event. But last but not least, I just want to join the shared album and upload a couple of photos and then we will see what that looks like on the other end. So I've added three photos to the shared album. You can add a comment if you'd like, but when you post it then it will pop up in the shared album section. As soon as it uploads, I can see the playlist and my Apple music library and I can of course add songs to the friendly Barbecue playlist if I'd like and be able to add it to my playlist as well. So let me just add a song and we'll see here what we've got. So then we go back and now you'll see boom, those photos popped up there and I'm able to view those photos right here. I can add new photos, I can manage it in the photos library, but in any case they're all there and I can even like them. So one last thing here I want to remind everyone you are able to create and send out invites if you have an iCloud plus subscription. Regardless of whether you have an ICLOUD subscription, you are able to receive these RSVPs and interact with them. If you want to upload and interact with photos, you do need an ICLOUD account. If you want to interact with Apple Music playlists, you need an Apple Music account. So those are the limitations on what is able to be used. But I love that Apple has made this possible to be used on all sorts of devices. This is not exclusive to just iPhones, so your Android friends can have just as much fun with these event invites as you can on your your iPhone. Folks, thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of Hands On Mac. You know less going through the tour of the brand new Apple Invites app and of course I'll be back next week, hopefully feeling better, sounding better with another episode of Hands On Mac. Thanks and catch you next time. Bye bye.

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