Fix: Error “Your Response to the invitation cannot be sent” on iPhone?

Responding to calendar invitations on iPhone may fail with the message “Your response to the invitation cannot be sent,” leaving the RSVP stuck in pending status. This error means your iPhone can’t send your reply to the event organizer, often because the Calendar and Mail apps aren’t working together properly.

Usually, this happens because the default email account for calendar replies isn’t set up correctly, especially if it’s not an iCloud account, like Gmail or Outlook. Other reasons can be problems with calendar syncing, using an old iOS version, or issues with signing into your email account.

1. Turn Calendar Account Off and On

This method has worked for many users. The idea is to temporarily turn off the Calendar for the account you use, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on.

1. Go to your iPhone Settings, tap on Calendar, and then select Accounts.
2. Choose the account you use with your Calendar (such as iCloud, Gmail, or Outlook Exchange) and turn off the Calendar for that account.

   

3. You’ll see a pop-up asking Delete from my iPhone. Tap it to confirm.

   

4. Wait a few seconds, then switch it On again.
5. Restart your iPhone by opening the General section in Settings.
6. Tap on Shutdown and drag the slider to turn off your phone. Once it’s off, turn it back on.

2. Refresh Calendars Under iCloud

This method involves turning off the calendar in iCloud, waiting a little while, and then turning it back on. This forces your device to re-sync the calendar data.

1. Go to iPhone Settings and tap on your name at the top.

   

2. Tap the iCloud section, then toggle off Calendars.

   

3. Wait a few seconds, then turn Calendars back On.

3. Force Calendar App to Close

If the Calendar app is not working properly or isn’t responding, you can force close it. This removes it from your device’s memory and might clear out any issues with stuck data. Afterwards, you’ll need to open the app again.

1. If you’re using iPhone X or a newer model, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle. This will display all open apps.
2. If you have an iPhone 8 or earlier, iPod, or iPhone SE, double-click the home button to show recently used apps.
3. Swipe left or right to find the Calendar app, then swipe up to close it.

   

4. Open the Calendar app again to see if the problem is resolved.