The Apple Invites app may not have taken off, but the latest update might make it a go-to for some as it sherlocks countdown widgets.
Apple offers a variety of apps that often act as a showcase for how it believes certain app categories should look or function. One such app is Apple Invites, which arrived without much of a splash in February 2025.
The latest update could help bring it into the spotlight thanks to the addition of a Home Screen widget. The widget shows a countdown to the event with your chosen artwork and the number of people that have RSVP’d as going.
It’s a clever update that could prove just enough to tip it into being a more powerful utility app. Third-party apps like Up Ahead are still more powerful with plenty of widget options, customization tools, and other features.
However, it’s tough to compete with first-party offerings. I’ve been utilizing Apple Invites wherever it makes sense, to the limit I can without annoying my family, and it’s proven to be quite nice.
We’ve even decided to use the app for our digital wedding invitation. The new countdown widget is now part of a widget stack on my Today View, and I’ve deleted an app previously used for that function.
Apple has been updating Invites regularly since its debut. It started as what seemed to be a UI experiment, but has evolved into a little memory repository that makes managing events a bit whimsical.
As Apple’s “Awe Dropping” invites go out Tuesday, one can’t help but wonder if Apple could use the app for its own events in the future. For now, fans can create their own Apple Event watch party invite and share it with their friends.
