It appears that Apple may be planning to discontinue the Cards app that it first released for iOS in 2011. Opening the app with devices running both iOS 6 and iOS 7 results in the following message: "The Cards service is no longer available."
The Apple.com page for the app has also been removed, now redirecting to iPhoto '11 for the Mac.
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Cards, which initially debuted alongside the iPhone 4S, was designed to be an iOS version of the greeting card creation service found within iPhoto ’11. The app allowed users to create a card, which was then printed, mailed, and sent directly to the recipient by Apple. Cards sent within the U.S. were priced at $2.99, while cards sent elsewhere were priced at $4.99. postage included.
While it is unclear whether or not the app will be revived with an iOS 7 update, the wording indicates that it will be quietly pulled from the App Store. Currently, while new cards cannot be created or sent, old cards can be viewed.
Cards, which is free, is still available for download in the App Store for the time being. [Direct Link]
Thanks, Jesper!
Update: An Apple support document confirms that the Cards app will be discontinued on September 10, 2013.
Top Rated Comments
It was useless anyway.
That's alright, No one used it anyway.
I did. I had pleasant results from people that I sent cards to anyway.Oh well, bye bye Cards :(
It was useless anyway.
not everyone is you. we loved sending cards with for the holidays and from vacations.
Can anyone recommend a similar service?
Apple is just cleaning out the junk they added over the past few years, like Ping. I wonder what service they'll drop next?
They didn't really drop the service, as I've now realized with the article update, you can just make them with iPhoto. I'll miss the push notifications though.
My guess is since iPhoto for iOS is now free (for new iOS devices anyway) the next major update will include cards support. Maybe.