The fastest way to send a calendar invite from your iPhone

Open the Calendar app, tap the event you want to share, then tap Edit in the top right. Scroll down to Invitees, tap the plus sign, and type or select the person's name or email address. Tap Add, then Done at the top right. The invite sends immediately when you save the event.

If you're creating a new event instead, tap the plus sign in Calendar, fill in the details, scroll to Invitees, add names or emails the same way, then tap Add Event. The invites go out as soon as you finish.

The person receives the invite in their email inbox and in their own Calendar app if they use an Apple device. They can accept, decline, or suggest a different time, and you'll see their response in your Calendar app.

Key Takeaways

  • You can add invitees when creating a new event or editing an existing one by tapping the plus sign next to Invitees.
  • Invites send to email addresses or to people in your Contacts, and recipients see them in both email and Calendar if they use Apple devices.
  • Recipients can respond with yes, no, or maybe, and their answers appear in your Calendar app so you know who's coming.
  • If someone doesn't have an Apple device, they still receive the invite by email and can respond from there.

Adding invitees to an existing event

Open Calendar and find the event you want to share. Tap it once to see the details, then tap Edit in the top right corner. Scroll down until you see the Invitees section with a plus sign next to it.

Tap the plus sign. A list of your contacts appears. You can scroll through and tap a name, or type in the search box to find someone faster. You can add as many people as you need — just keep tapping names or typing new email addresses.

Once you've added everyone, tap Done at the top right of the screen. The event saves and invites go out to everyone you added. If the event was already on your calendar before you added invitees, those people receive the invite right away.

Creating a new event with invitees

Tap the plus sign in the bottom right corner of the Calendar app to start a new event. Fill in the title, date, and time as usual. Scroll down to find the Invitees section and tap the plus sign next to it.

Search for or select the people you want to invite. You can type their name if they're in your Contacts, or paste an email address directly. Add everyone you need, then scroll back up and tap Add Event at the bottom.

The event appears on your calendar and invites go out to everyone at the same time. You don't have to send them separately.

What happens when someone receives your invite

If the person uses an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, they see the invite appear in their Calendar app with a notification. They also receive an email about it. They can tap the event in Calendar and choose Accept, Decline, or Maybe.

If they use Android or another device, they receive the invite by email. They can open it and respond from their email app or their own calendar app if it supports calendar invites. Either way, their response comes back to you and shows up in your Calendar.

You can see who has responded and who hasn't by opening the event and looking at the Invitees section. It shows a checkmark next to people who accepted, an X for those who declined, and a question mark for those who haven't decided yet.

Sending invites to people not in your contacts

You don't need someone's contact information saved to send them an invite. When you tap the plus sign next to Invitees, you can type an email address directly instead of selecting from your contacts. Type the full email address and tap Add.

The invite goes to that email address whether or not you have them saved. If they respond, their response comes back to your Calendar app. If you plan to work with this person again, you can add them to your Contacts after the invite goes out.

Changing or canceling an invite after you send it

If you need to change the event details after sending invites, open the event and tap Edit. Make your changes and tap Done. Everyone gets a notification that the event has been updated.

If you want to remove someone from the invite list, tap Edit, scroll to Invitees, tap the minus sign next to their name, then tap Done. They receive a cancellation notice.

If you need to cancel the entire event, tap Edit, scroll to the bottom, and tap Delete Event. Everyone invited gets a notification that the event has been canceled.

Troubleshooting invites that don't send

If an invite doesn't go through, check that you have an internet connection — Calendar needs WiFi or cellular data to send invites. Open Settings, tap WiFi or Cellular, and make sure you're connected.

If the person's name or email doesn't appear when you search, they may not be in your Contacts. Type their full email address instead of searching for their name. Make sure you spell it correctly, since a wrong email means the invite goes nowhere.

If someone says they never received an invite, ask them to check their spam or junk folder — sometimes calendar invites get filtered there by mistake. You can also try removing them and adding them again with a slightly different email address if they have multiple accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a calendar invite to a group of people at once?

Yes. Tap the plus sign next to Invitees and add each person individually by typing their name or email. You can add as many people as you need before you save the event. Everyone receives the invite at the same time.

What if someone doesn't have an Apple device?

They still receive the invite by email. They can open it in their email app or import it into their own calendar app. Their response comes back to you, though it may arrive as an email reply instead of showing up in your Calendar app.

Can I see if someone opened my calendar invite?

You can see whether they accepted, declined, or haven't responded yet by opening the event and looking at the Invitees list. You cannot see whether they opened the email itself, only their final response.

What's the difference between inviting someone and sharing my whole calendar?

An invite is for one specific event. Sharing your calendar lets someone see all your events at once. Invites are in the Calendar app under the event details; calendar sharing is in Settings under your name and iCloud.

Can I send an invite from the email app instead of Calendar?

No. Calendar invites must be sent from the Calendar app. If you try to attach a calendar file to an email, the recipient has to import it manually rather than getting a proper invite notification.