The idea behind Apple Invites is that you can create and share custom invitations for any event or occasion. You can use your own photos or backgrounds in the app as an image for the invite. Image Playground is built into Invites and you can use that to generate an images for the invitation instead. Other Apple Intelligence features such as Writing Tools are baked in as well, in case you need a hand to craft the right message for your invitation.

It's worth noting that only folks with a paid iCloud (aka iCloud+) plan can create an invite in the app. There are no limits on how many events you can host, but each one is limited to 100 participants. As might expect, events will appear in the Calendar app (to which Apple has made some changes in recent months, including the integration of Reminders, amid the rollout of iOS 18).

Anyone can RSVP to invites in the app or on the web. You won't need an Apple Account or device to do so. You can also add photos and photos and videos from the event to a Shared Album (in case you need to feel like it's 2008 and we're all living on Facebook again). Best of all, you can help decide what to listen to during the get-together by collaborating on Apple Music playlists. There's Weather and Maps integration to provide guests with directions and a forecast on the day of the event.

Privacy is a factor here. Hosts can choose whether to share their home address in the invite, while guests have control over how their details appear to others.

The app seems useful and pretty fun. The Shared Albums and Apple Music collaboration features make it seem more interesting than a boring-ass Outlook invite ever could be.

Update, February 4, 1:18PM ET: A previous version of this story indicated that an iPhone and Apple Invites were required to add photos and videos to the Shared Album for the event. This isn't the case, as it's possible to do so via the web on any device.