Apple is reportedly launching a new iCloud feature called “Confetti” that aims to provide a new way to invite people to parties, meetings, and other events. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the feature could be introduced as soon as this week.
Apple’s new iCloud feature “Confetti” to simplify event invites
The service, which has the festive code name “Confetti,” is said to be part of a broader effort by Apple to revamp its Calendar app. It will be integrated with the latest update to Apple’s iPhone software, iOS 18.3, which began rolling out last Monday.
Gurman described “Confetti” as a service designed to enhance how users organize events and invites, potentially making it easier to manage RSVPs. Although details on the specific functionality are limited, it may show a list of invitees and their attendance status at events. Furthermore, there are indications that it might integrate with other Apple services, such as iMessage, although it is unclear whether it will be a standalone app.
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Reports earlier this year hinted at a feature called Invites found in the iOS 18.3 code, suggesting that this new service will also have a web version on iCloud.com. The new app is believed to incorporate a daemon known as GroupKit, managing databases related to groups of people, which has been present since iOS 18.0 but has not been utilized in any Apple applications to date.
It seems that the app is intended to assist users in coordinating meetups and face-to-face gatherings. While Apple’s existing Calendar app already serves this function, the new Invites app is expected to introduce some unique capabilities.
Based on the code, Invites appears to be tightly linked with iCloud and will even have a web-based version accessible via iCloud.com. Additionally, it connects with a newly introduced iOS 18 background process called GroupKit, which handles database models for groups of individuals. This system process has been part of iOS 18 since its initial release but has yet to be utilized by any Apple applications.
Fundamentally, the app will display a list of attendees for a given event, including details on who has RSVP’d. It remains uncertain whether Invites will function as an independent app or if Apple intends to embed it into other system components, such as a lightweight iMessage extension. Most likely, the interface will be more engaging and interactive compared to the current event invitation experience in the Calendar app.
Featured image credit: Pascal Brändle/Unsplash
