Apple Could Shake Up Party Planning with This New Service

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While there weren’t too many surprises in last week’s iOS 18.3 release, which seems to be more focused on fixing bugs and patching security holes than adding new features, Apple may have hidden something else in there that it could unveil in the coming weeks.
In early January, the folks at 9to5Mac found evidence of a new “Apple Invites” app in the second iOS 18.3 beta. The code suggested the app would be designed to help organize meetings and events — kind of like Apple’s own version of Evite or Mixily.
This could be a standalone app, distinct from the Calendar app. Instead of scheduling meetings and sending out traditional calendar invites, this would set up online or in-person events directly, likely using links that could be shared on social media and work through a dedicated iCloud-based site.
Still, this wasn’t entirely clear from the code, which also suggested the possibility of an iMessage app or an expansion of the Calendar app. There was also no hint of a release date. Apple has often put code in iOS betas well in advance of releasing new features, so the appearance of this stuff in an iOS 18.3 beta didn’t even guarantee it would arrive before iOS 19 shows up.
However, now Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman confirms that this new service is not only on Apple’s roadmap but the company is also preparing to roll it out to employees for internal testing this week.
In this week’s Power On newsletter, Gurman reveals that the service, which Apple’s engineers have dubbed “Confetti,” will be “a new iCloud-based events and invite service.” The code in iOS 18.3 laid the groundwork, but Apple didn’t have the back-end pieces in place to toggle the switch.
As the festive code name implies, the service offers a new way to invite people to parties, functions and meetings. For years, Apple has been seeking to revamp its calendar app — and this new initiative could be the beginning of a broader effort. The release is tied to iOS 18.3, which just started rolling out last Monday.
Mark Gurman
It’s doubtful that Apple will use the name “Confetti” for the service. It may not even have a unique name if it’s simply an expansion to the Calendar app; Apple could debut it as more of a feature, showcasing it as a more effective way to schedule group activities without juggling calendars.
Gurman doesn’t share any details on how this will work, but we envision something similar to Fantastical’s Scheduling feature that lets users create appointments with RSVP links. These can be shared more easily than email-based calendar invites, which are more cumbersome in an era when many people have moved away from the regular use of email in favor of social media and instant messaging apps.
Plus, an RSVP link is much more useful as a one-to-many way of scheduling an event. You can post a single link in a group channel, and multiple people can respond by clicking the link. They’ll be taken to a web page where they can enter their name and contact info and indicate whether they’ll attend.
At least that’s how it works in Fantastical. Still, it’s a universal concept, so it’s not hard to imagine Apple doing something similar through iCloud. The bigger question is how deep Apple will go. Fantastical gives organizers quite a bit of control over those RSVP links, including determining who can see attendees, setting deadlines, limiting the number of respondents, and manually disabling registration.
Fantastical also offers features for sharing openings in your schedule and arranging meetings in an iMessage conversation. However, all of these features require a paid subscription to the app, which runs $7 per month or $57 per year.
Apple’s “Confetti” will likely be offered at almost no additional cost. It may be entirely free, but Apple could also wrap it into its iCloud+ service, as it’s done with other advanced features like iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email. That’s still a pretty low cost of entry for Apple fans, considering that iCloud+ is included with any amount of paid iCloud storage — even the base $0.99 50 GB plan.
There’s no firm word yet on when Apple will release this to the public, but with internal testing starting this week, we can’t imagine we’ll have to wait too long.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]