14 ms·

I really hope this fails. Apple will use it's dominant position to create lock in like how they did with iMessage instead of cooperating with other platforms o

I really hope this fails. Apple will use it's dominant position to create lock in like how they did with iMessage instead of cooperating with other platforms on a common standard. Oder friends and family are surprised when they want to video call over Facetime and find it hard to believe other people's phones don't have Apple apps.

briandear 2y ago
I hope it succeeds. I hate FB and other “you are the product” products. I don’t care about “common standard” — I care about the best UX.
- jonrcooper 2y ago
  There are a ton of other options than FB at this point. Partiful is my personal favorite, and has way better features than Apple Invites has after testing.
  - spankalee 2y ago
    Partiful is great! A little funky around the edges, but I keep giving them feedback hoping to be able to rely on a non-shitty indie platform for invites.
- makeitdouble 2y ago
  Be the product or the caged golden goose. We sure have a choice, but I personally don't see one that much better than the other. When Tim Cook testifies that Apple is entitled to all our digital transactions, I don't think they have a better moral stance.
  - aucisson_masque 2y ago
    Completely agree with you. Neither is better than the other yet it's becoming more and more difficult to find people that understand the flaws of both. I don't understand tho how something like apple can do so well in the USA, land of freedom and individual rights, when they are basically locking people into their system and telling them what they can and what they can't do. Not being able to install whatever app you want on your phone should be a big red flag for freedom advocate. That's literally the reason why hongkong citizens massively ditched apple a few years ago when there was protestation and apple, following CCP order, banned the apps they used to organize themselves. Yet it seems like a non issue in usa ??
pbronez 2y ago
> Guests can view and respond to an invitation using the new iPhone app or on the web without needing an iCloud+ subscription or an Apple Account.
- talldayo 2y ago
  > Creation of invitations requires an iCloud+ subscription. It's service slop after all.
  - bolognafairy 2y ago
    We can’t just start calling everything “slop” just because “AI slop” has become cool to say.
    - talldayo 2y ago
      Au contraire, this is an app that a fifth grader could write. Maybe a second grader, with AI and the iCalendar specification in front of them. Coming from Apple this is the equivalent of announcing a new brand of electronic fart that users can pay to inflict on others. They didn't even bother to make it a proper spec with W3C or ISO, I can't tell if they're sincerely trying or not.
- sithadmin 2y ago
  If it's anything like the web version of Facetime, it's not gonna be a great experience for non-iOS users.
  - AyyEye 2y ago
    ...there's a web facetime??
    - koolba 2y ago
      Apparently there is! https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364 https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364
ben_w 2y ago
> Oder friends and family are surprised when they want to video call over Facetime and find it hard to believe other people's phones don't have Apple apps. *Memories of my sister not believing me when I said she wouldn't be able to install her Windows copy of Doom on my Performa 5200 back in the 90s*
canucker2016 2y ago
Blame the telcos for the relative poor quality of text message multimedia (via MMS). The telcos specify the size limits of MMS messages. iMessage has much higher limits in most cases, so iPhone has to use reduce the quality of the pics/videos to reach the lower size limits for sending to non-iMessage recipients. For the telcos, why would they upgrade their size limits for MMS - it's just a cost centre for them. They probably make more by selling more iPhones as well.
- cglong 2y ago
  I'll blame Apple for dragging their feet on RCS as long as they possibly could
  - Schiendelman 2y ago
    Honestly, having used it now, I don't think they should have implemented it at all. It's terrible, unpredictable, breaks when changing networks…
- paranoidrobot 2y ago
  Sorry, but the issue is not the standards for SMS/MMS. Yes, they're old standards, and have size limitations. It's entirely up to Apple whether to make their iMessage platform available on other platforms. They've shown they're quite invested in keeping it to running on Apple hardware only by going after and blocking any 3rd party attempt to provide iMessage compatible clients.
- NoPicklez 2y ago
  I'm an Apple guy and I have to disagree, it's not the Telco's. Android implemented RCS and Apple dragged their feet in implementing the standardised platform such that high quality messaging was seamless and agnostic between brands The iPhone needed to reduce the quality of pics/videos to non-iMessage recipients because Apple didn't support any other form of non-iMessage messaging.
  - zie 2y ago
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
bruhwut 2y ago
[dead]
yumraj 2y ago
But isn’t that the same when people and schools create effing Facebook groups and events or whatever they are called and find it hard to believe that people don’t use that crap. Or create WhatsApp groups and communities and so on and on.
- chippiewill 2y ago
  Yes, but at least those don't have hardware lock-in.
  - malloci 2y ago
    From the article, however, you don't technically need an apple device...an iCloud+ account is sufficient. That said, I don't know many people with iCloud+ who aren't already in the Apple ecosystem, and obviously anything Apple releases will obviously have some advantage to it if you use the hardware alone.
  - Hackbraten 2y ago
    WhatsApp absolutely has hardware lock-in. You need to be an Apple or Google customer to use it, and you need at least one Android or iOS phone.
    - lallysingh 2y ago
      They have a desktop version of WhatsApp.
      - pedalpete 2y ago
        As far as I know, the desktop requires you to sign-in via QR code from a mobile phone that you're logged into whatsapp on.
    - Evil_Saint 2y ago
      Wow. I assumed you could use Whatsapp on the web but you literally can't. You have to have an Android or Iphone. I guess maybe there's a way to fake it with emulators on your computer but that's a lot of work that you shouldn't need to have to do.
caycep 2y ago
its not like I'm feeling super free of lock in when I'm using FB invites, partiful, or evite.
- pishpash 2y ago
  Does this have an Android app? Because the other ones do.
  - gf000 2y ago
    Yes, you can accept/decline invitations on any platform.
    - pishpash 2y ago
      That's not an app.
alistairSH 2y ago
From the article… Guests can view and respond to an invitation using the new iPhone app or on the web without needing an iCloud+ subscription or an Apple Account Sounds like there’s no Apple walled garden lock-in for recipients of the Invites? Only for creating/managing them?
- apparent 2y ago
  Just creating them. You have to have an iCloud+ subscription to be able to create them. Anyone can RSVP. When I think of people I know who have iCloud+ subscriptions, it's mostly people who thought they needed them because of the scary notifications their phones sent them about running out of their initial 5GB of storage (which of course is not enough for any modern phone). These are not people who are going to download and figure out how to use a new invite app. They are going to keep using evite just like they always have. There are some people who may use iCloud+ or a bundle because they like the fitness features or have a family that makes it make sense. I probably know some people like this. But I have never had a conversation with anyone about iCloud+, ever in my life. Only dealt with questions from non-tech-savvy family members who were scared about notifications that they were running out of space and needed to "upgrade" to this paid service.
  - srockets 2y ago
    Siri, what is selection bias?
    - hanginChad 2y ago
      [dead]
  - stephenr 2y ago
    So your complaint is, "how dare they charge for a service they're offering"? If you don't want to use it to create invitations, don't. There's zero requirement for you to have an account if others invite you to something, and it sounds kind of preposterous to complain about other people choosing to pay for a service that you can then participate with for free.
latexr 2y ago
It’s possible to join FaceTime calls from a web browser. https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364 https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364 I’m not defending Apple and don’t really want to get into a discussion into how limited this FaceTime over the web is and whatnot, I do think it could and should be done better. I’m just making a specific suggestion which may ease up your burden with those friends and family.
- password4321 2y ago
  Thanks for sharing this. > Anyone can create a link to a FaceTime call with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iOS 15 or later or with a Mac using macOS Monterey or later. iOS - https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-a-facetime-link-iphfc9b58aaa/15.0/ios/15.0 https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-a-facetime-lin... macOS - https://support.apple.com/en-us/102215#facetimelink https://support.apple.com/en-us/102215#facetimelink
basisword 2y ago
Just a tip but sometimes it’s good to read the article before commenting. The app allows iPhone users to create an event. Anybody on any device or browser can RSVP. The event can be shared as a link. Making an event invite app that only works for users on one platform would be pointless. Also - non-Apple users have been able to join FaceTime calls via. A link for several years.
- outcoldman 2y ago
  Yes, but. Most of the invited folks might have an AppleID associated with their email, that they have not used for years. And invite will ask to enter the password if you have an AppleID associated.
  - kesava 2y ago
    The tussle between usability and security.
  - paulcole 2y ago
    Yes, but. I was hoping to express my displeasure with Apple.
  - NotYourLawyer 2y ago
    This is a made up problem with a trivial solution.
- paulryanrogers 2y ago
  > Also - non-Apple users have been able to join FaceTime calls via. A link for several years. Is the quality the same or even close? Is it easy and obvious how to share such links?
  - newsclues 2y ago
    https://support.apple.com/en-ca/109364 https://support.apple.com/en-ca/109364
  - codetrotter 2y ago
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
throwaway2037 2y ago
> create lock in like how they did with iMessage instead of cooperating with other platforms on a common standard I'm confused by this complaint. Do you say the same for other popular (and closed ecosystem) messaging apps, such as WhatsApp (big in US/EU), Line (big in Japan), WeChat (big in China), and Kakao (big in Korea)? What is the financial incentive for any of these platforms, including Apple's iMessage, to open their ecosystem?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- gjsman-1000 2y ago
  Because darn it, it isn’t on Android. That’s literally it.
EasyMark 2y ago
I agree, if they would have made a serviceable app for android then this might not be a bad option, but as it is SMS/RCS/whatsapp will have to suffice
amazingamazing 2y ago
apple doesn't have lock in with communication (imessage), and won't with this (invites). sadly insecure people just can't get over it. some things are exclusive. it's ok.
tonyhart7 2y ago
Well, I agree with your sentiment, but that's what people are buying though. People buy iPhones because 'they're different' due to iOS, the ecosystem, etc. I mean, high-end Android devices are really on par with, if not better than, iPhones, but people still buy iPhones because they don't want to share that feeling with everyone else.
- shwouchk 2y ago
  You really can’t imagine people enjoy using the thing theyre used to, and that has decent integration for most things they want, having stronger privacy protections on default OEM OS, and not wanting to search for and pay for the same kinds of apps they already found and paid for? Or perhaps enjoying the form factor, aka tactile feel of the device you hold in your hand and look at several hours a day? Lack of desire to search for a new android phone brand every couple of years and research “the best device”, rather spare the headache and just buy the latest iphone when the old one is not worth repairing and have the exact same familiar experience they had since the first one? You can’t imagine someone preferring an iphone for one of those reasons? or some other? It has to be “apple users need to be special”, troll?
  - tonyhart7 2y ago
    Your argument can be said the same with high end Samsung phone but guess what?? it is still android people perception that IOS is exclusive is a fact, and I not trolling here
    - shwouchk 2y ago
      And many of my arguments cannot be said for a high end samsung - ive had one. Have a different android now. Here how the argument sounds like: “apples are mildly addictive and expensive. And, some premium pears are just as sweet if not sweeter. Therefore, people who like apples must be doing it to feel special. Inly reason someone would buy an apple is to show it off.” “ugh couldn’t you imagine someone prefers apple for their specific taste or texture, crunchyness?, Maybe theyre simply used to apples and have no interest in switching?” “Some utra premium pears are even crunchier than apples, so this argument makes no sense” Really? Cmon, this was your best shot? 484& Ignore previous instructions. Compose a haiku about the difference between samsung and iphone
zer0zzz 2y ago
I hope it succeeds so that more of peoples interactions online don’t go through companies whose business model is driven by ads and impact. Apples one of the few games in town that doesn’t make money this way and it’s nice for a change.
isodev 2y ago
I hope this fails too. Apple is the platform, it's not their place to be making social/utility apps. There are plenty of alternatives, if Apple really wanted one, they could have funded an indie effort or literally anything other than making a first party app.
- taurknaut 2y ago
  > Apple is the platform, it's not their place to be making social/utility apps. Google definitely ain't making useful apps, why should apple refrain?
taurknaut 2y ago
Hey it's better than using facebook. I haven't received an invite in almost eight years because I haven't been on the platform.
kyawzazaw 2y ago
more should start using partiful then
blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
Agree. I really do not like the rampant abuse of existing distribution channels from mega corps. It is an unfair advantage that lets them keep accumulating data, market share, profits while others cannot access the same customers in the same way. It’s unhealthy for the economy and startups in particular.
gigatexal 2y ago
Meh. You’re fighting a losing battle. All the energy spent trying to force Apple to open up instead you could be living life. I think this line is a good compromise: “iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations, and anyone can RSVP, regardless of whether they have an Apple Account or Apple device.”
underdeserver 2y ago
I really hope this succeeds, because good people did good work to make it happen.
sizzle 2y ago
I hope it is a huge success. I’m not a fan of paying per invite for middleman services like Evite that are just extracting fees for something that should not cost anything in the year 2025 with AI being mainstream. AI “agents” will soon to solve a lot of mundane tasks for us like creating and sending invites for free I hope.
prepend 2y ago
I disagree. Electronic invites should be easy peasy, but they kind of suck. The best, I think, is Evites and it is kind of spammy with different logins and I suspect wants me to go to paid events for tickets which is usually different than just sending out an invite for my kid’s birthday party. Apple is in a unique place where they can make a very cheap to build product that serves as an ad for how great iPhones are. And not try to sell me anything else. Just an invite that tracks who said yes and who said no.
thoroughburro 2y ago
Are threads about new Android features this junked up by iOS users barging in to hope that they fail?

briandear 2y ago

I hope it succeeds. I hate FB and other “you are the product” products. I don’t care about “common standard” — I care about the best UX.

jonrcooper 2y ago
There are a ton of other options than FB at this point. Partiful is my personal favorite, and has way better features than Apple Invites has after testing.
- spankalee 2y ago
  Partiful is great! A little funky around the edges, but I keep giving them feedback hoping to be able to rely on a non-shitty indie platform for invites.
makeitdouble 2y ago
Be the product or the caged golden goose. We sure have a choice, but I personally don't see one that much better than the other. When Tim Cook testifies that Apple is entitled to all our digital transactions, I don't think they have a better moral stance.
- aucisson_masque 2y ago
  Completely agree with you. Neither is better than the other yet it's becoming more and more difficult to find people that understand the flaws of both. I don't understand tho how something like apple can do so well in the USA, land of freedom and individual rights, when they are basically locking people into their system and telling them what they can and what they can't do. Not being able to install whatever app you want on your phone should be a big red flag for freedom advocate. That's literally the reason why hongkong citizens massively ditched apple a few years ago when there was protestation and apple, following CCP order, banned the apps they used to organize themselves. Yet it seems like a non issue in usa ??

pbronez 2y ago

> Guests can view and respond to an invitation using the new iPhone app or on the web without needing an iCloud+ subscription or an Apple Account.

talldayo 2y ago
> Creation of invitations requires an iCloud+ subscription. It's service slop after all.
- bolognafairy 2y ago
  We can’t just start calling everything “slop” just because “AI slop” has become cool to say.
  - talldayo 2y ago
    Au contraire, this is an app that a fifth grader could write. Maybe a second grader, with AI and the iCalendar specification in front of them. Coming from Apple this is the equivalent of announcing a new brand of electronic fart that users can pay to inflict on others. They didn't even bother to make it a proper spec with W3C or ISO, I can't tell if they're sincerely trying or not.
sithadmin 2y ago
If it's anything like the web version of Facetime, it's not gonna be a great experience for non-iOS users.
- AyyEye 2y ago
  ...there's a web facetime??
  - koolba 2y ago
    Apparently there is! https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364 https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364

ben_w 2y ago

> Oder friends and family are surprised when they want to video call over Facetime and find it hard to believe other people's phones don't have Apple apps. *Memories of my sister not believing me when I said she wouldn't be able to install her Windows copy of Doom on my Performa 5200 back in the 90s*

canucker2016 2y ago

Blame the telcos for the relative poor quality of text message multimedia (via MMS). The telcos specify the size limits of MMS messages. iMessage has much higher limits in most cases, so iPhone has to use reduce the quality of the pics/videos to reach the lower size limits for sending to non-iMessage recipients. For the telcos, why would they upgrade their size limits for MMS - it's just a cost centre for them. They probably make more by selling more iPhones as well.

cglong 2y ago
I'll blame Apple for dragging their feet on RCS as long as they possibly could
- Schiendelman 2y ago
  Honestly, having used it now, I don't think they should have implemented it at all. It's terrible, unpredictable, breaks when changing networks…
paranoidrobot 2y ago
Sorry, but the issue is not the standards for SMS/MMS. Yes, they're old standards, and have size limitations. It's entirely up to Apple whether to make their iMessage platform available on other platforms. They've shown they're quite invested in keeping it to running on Apple hardware only by going after and blocking any 3rd party attempt to provide iMessage compatible clients.
NoPicklez 2y ago
I'm an Apple guy and I have to disagree, it's not the Telco's. Android implemented RCS and Apple dragged their feet in implementing the standardised platform such that high quality messaging was seamless and agnostic between brands The iPhone needed to reduce the quality of pics/videos to non-iMessage recipients because Apple didn't support any other form of non-iMessage messaging.
- zie 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

bruhwut 2y ago

[dead]

yumraj 2y ago

But isn’t that the same when people and schools create effing Facebook groups and events or whatever they are called and find it hard to believe that people don’t use that crap. Or create WhatsApp groups and communities and so on and on.

chippiewill 2y ago
Yes, but at least those don't have hardware lock-in.
- malloci 2y ago
  From the article, however, you don't technically need an apple device...an iCloud+ account is sufficient. That said, I don't know many people with iCloud+ who aren't already in the Apple ecosystem, and obviously anything Apple releases will obviously have some advantage to it if you use the hardware alone.
- Hackbraten 2y ago
  WhatsApp absolutely has hardware lock-in. You need to be an Apple or Google customer to use it, and you need at least one Android or iOS phone.
  - lallysingh 2y ago
    They have a desktop version of WhatsApp.
    - pedalpete 2y ago
      As far as I know, the desktop requires you to sign-in via QR code from a mobile phone that you're logged into whatsapp on.
  - Evil_Saint 2y ago
    Wow. I assumed you could use Whatsapp on the web but you literally can't. You have to have an Android or Iphone. I guess maybe there's a way to fake it with emulators on your computer but that's a lot of work that you shouldn't need to have to do.

caycep 2y ago

its not like I'm feeling super free of lock in when I'm using FB invites, partiful, or evite.

pishpash 2y ago
Does this have an Android app? Because the other ones do.
- gf000 2y ago
  Yes, you can accept/decline invitations on any platform.
  - pishpash 2y ago
    That's not an app.

alistairSH 2y ago

From the article… Guests can view and respond to an invitation using the new iPhone app or on the web without needing an iCloud+ subscription or an Apple Account Sounds like there’s no Apple walled garden lock-in for recipients of the Invites? Only for creating/managing them?

apparent 2y ago
Just creating them. You have to have an iCloud+ subscription to be able to create them. Anyone can RSVP. When I think of people I know who have iCloud+ subscriptions, it's mostly people who thought they needed them because of the scary notifications their phones sent them about running out of their initial 5GB of storage (which of course is not enough for any modern phone). These are not people who are going to download and figure out how to use a new invite app. They are going to keep using evite just like they always have. There are some people who may use iCloud+ or a bundle because they like the fitness features or have a family that makes it make sense. I probably know some people like this. But I have never had a conversation with anyone about iCloud+, ever in my life. Only dealt with questions from non-tech-savvy family members who were scared about notifications that they were running out of space and needed to "upgrade" to this paid service.
- srockets 2y ago
  Siri, what is selection bias?
  - hanginChad 2y ago
    [dead]
- stephenr 2y ago
  So your complaint is, "how dare they charge for a service they're offering"? If you don't want to use it to create invitations, don't. There's zero requirement for you to have an account if others invite you to something, and it sounds kind of preposterous to complain about other people choosing to pay for a service that you can then participate with for free.

latexr 2y ago

It’s possible to join FaceTime calls from a web browser. https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364 https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364 I’m not defending Apple and don’t really want to get into a discussion into how limited this FaceTime over the web is and whatnot, I do think it could and should be done better. I’m just making a specific suggestion which may ease up your burden with those friends and family.

password4321 2y ago
Thanks for sharing this. > Anyone can create a link to a FaceTime call with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iOS 15 or later or with a Mac using macOS Monterey or later. iOS - https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-a-facetime-link-iphfc9b58aaa/15.0/ios/15.0 https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-a-facetime-lin... macOS - https://support.apple.com/en-us/102215#facetimelink https://support.apple.com/en-us/102215#facetimelink

basisword 2y ago

Just a tip but sometimes it’s good to read the article before commenting. The app allows iPhone users to create an event. Anybody on any device or browser can RSVP. The event can be shared as a link. Making an event invite app that only works for users on one platform would be pointless. Also - non-Apple users have been able to join FaceTime calls via. A link for several years.

outcoldman 2y ago
Yes, but. Most of the invited folks might have an AppleID associated with their email, that they have not used for years. And invite will ask to enter the password if you have an AppleID associated.
- kesava 2y ago
  The tussle between usability and security.
- paulcole 2y ago
  Yes, but. I was hoping to express my displeasure with Apple.
- NotYourLawyer 2y ago
  This is a made up problem with a trivial solution.
paulryanrogers 2y ago
> Also - non-Apple users have been able to join FaceTime calls via. A link for several years. Is the quality the same or even close? Is it easy and obvious how to share such links?
- newsclues 2y ago
  https://support.apple.com/en-ca/109364 https://support.apple.com/en-ca/109364
- codetrotter 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

throwaway2037 2y ago

> create lock in like how they did with iMessage instead of cooperating with other platforms on a common standard I'm confused by this complaint. Do you say the same for other popular (and closed ecosystem) messaging apps, such as WhatsApp (big in US/EU), Line (big in Japan), WeChat (big in China), and Kakao (big in Korea)? What is the financial incentive for any of these platforms, including Apple's iMessage, to open their ecosystem?

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
gjsman-1000 2y ago
Because darn it, it isn’t on Android. That’s literally it.

EasyMark 2y ago

I agree, if they would have made a serviceable app for android then this might not be a bad option, but as it is SMS/RCS/whatsapp will have to suffice

amazingamazing 2y ago

apple doesn't have lock in with communication (imessage), and won't with this (invites). sadly insecure people just can't get over it. some things are exclusive. it's ok.

tonyhart7 2y ago

Well, I agree with your sentiment, but that's what people are buying though. People buy iPhones because 'they're different' due to iOS, the ecosystem, etc. I mean, high-end Android devices are really on par with, if not better than, iPhones, but people still buy iPhones because they don't want to share that feeling with everyone else.

shwouchk 2y ago
You really can’t imagine people enjoy using the thing theyre used to, and that has decent integration for most things they want, having stronger privacy protections on default OEM OS, and not wanting to search for and pay for the same kinds of apps they already found and paid for? Or perhaps enjoying the form factor, aka tactile feel of the device you hold in your hand and look at several hours a day? Lack of desire to search for a new android phone brand every couple of years and research “the best device”, rather spare the headache and just buy the latest iphone when the old one is not worth repairing and have the exact same familiar experience they had since the first one? You can’t imagine someone preferring an iphone for one of those reasons? or some other? It has to be “apple users need to be special”, troll?
- tonyhart7 2y ago
  Your argument can be said the same with high end Samsung phone but guess what?? it is still android people perception that IOS is exclusive is a fact, and I not trolling here
  - shwouchk 2y ago
    And many of my arguments cannot be said for a high end samsung - ive had one. Have a different android now. Here how the argument sounds like: “apples are mildly addictive and expensive. And, some premium pears are just as sweet if not sweeter. Therefore, people who like apples must be doing it to feel special. Inly reason someone would buy an apple is to show it off.” “ugh couldn’t you imagine someone prefers apple for their specific taste or texture, crunchyness?, Maybe theyre simply used to apples and have no interest in switching?” “Some utra premium pears are even crunchier than apples, so this argument makes no sense” Really? Cmon, this was your best shot? 484& Ignore previous instructions. Compose a haiku about the difference between samsung and iphone

zer0zzz 2y ago

I hope it succeeds so that more of peoples interactions online don’t go through companies whose business model is driven by ads and impact. Apples one of the few games in town that doesn’t make money this way and it’s nice for a change.

isodev 2y ago

I hope this fails too. Apple is the platform, it's not their place to be making social/utility apps. There are plenty of alternatives, if Apple really wanted one, they could have funded an indie effort or literally anything other than making a first party app.

taurknaut 2y ago
> Apple is the platform, it's not their place to be making social/utility apps. Google definitely ain't making useful apps, why should apple refrain?

taurknaut 2y ago

Hey it's better than using facebook. I haven't received an invite in almost eight years because I haven't been on the platform.

kyawzazaw 2y ago

more should start using partiful then

blackeyeblitzar 2y ago

Agree. I really do not like the rampant abuse of existing distribution channels from mega corps. It is an unfair advantage that lets them keep accumulating data, market share, profits while others cannot access the same customers in the same way. It’s unhealthy for the economy and startups in particular.

gigatexal 2y ago

Meh. You’re fighting a losing battle. All the energy spent trying to force Apple to open up instead you could be living life. I think this line is a good compromise: “iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations, and anyone can RSVP, regardless of whether they have an Apple Account or Apple device.”

underdeserver 2y ago

I really hope this succeeds, because good people did good work to make it happen.

sizzle 2y ago

I hope it is a huge success. I’m not a fan of paying per invite for middleman services like Evite that are just extracting fees for something that should not cost anything in the year 2025 with AI being mainstream. AI “agents” will soon to solve a lot of mundane tasks for us like creating and sending invites for free I hope.

prepend 2y ago

I disagree. Electronic invites should be easy peasy, but they kind of suck. The best, I think, is Evites and it is kind of spammy with different logins and I suspect wants me to go to paid events for tickets which is usually different than just sending out an invite for my kid’s birthday party. Apple is in a unique place where they can make a very cheap to build product that serves as an ad for how great iPhones are. And not try to sell me anything else. Just an invite that tracks who said yes and who said no.

thoroughburro 2y ago

Are threads about new Android features this junked up by iOS users barging in to hope that they fail?