Q: How can I gift an app that I already purchased?

Gifting an app needs to be done prior to purchase.

1. You can gift an app using an iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Launch the App Store and find the app you want to send as a gift. Once you have found the app and are viewing all of the details, scroll down to the bottom. There you will find a Gift This App button. Tap on it.
2. (Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani)
3. You will be provided with a summary of the app; press Next after you have confirmed it is the app you would like to send.
4. (Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani)
5. Enter your name followed by the recipient's name and e-mail address. You can also scroll down and enter a note to be sent with the app if you'd like. Press Next when you're done.
6. (Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani)
7. On the last screen you will see an order summary. Verify that the name, e-mail address, and app are all correct. Once you are satisfied, tap on Buy Gift. The recipient will then be sent an e-mail to alert him or her of your gift.

Yes and no. You are buying the app initially for 1 person to use as a licensing thing.

Same when you buy windows, Mac OS X DVD's etc. You buy the license for 1 person (or more depending on family bundle up to 5 users) to use that software. Apple would do it, but it goes against the terms of use and something to do with the Digital rights management

ya that works too

I understand exactly what you are saying as I just tried to gift a friend an app I purchased ages ago. Same prob, can't gift it. Seems so **** backwards, as you say. I have the app and love it, wouldn't that be more likely for me to want to gift it to someone else?? Seems stupid

Have they come up with a solution yet? I'm trying to gift something I've already purchased.

How about creating a new Apple ID and doing it from there?  No experience, but it seems likely?

but what a pain in the butt. will have to set it up with email, bank account details etc.

Come on Apple!

Seriously Apple this makes no sense at all.

I have a friend that I want to gift an app I already purchased to.

He doesn't have a credit or debit card and doesn't want to set up bank accounts via apple.

I'm certainly not going to give him my card details for his acount either.

It's crazy to think that I can't gift someone an app that I already have.

Why can't we just purchase the app again and gift it to that person and have the app linked to their account.

Apple please stop trying to think that you know best and listen to what people want!

almartin59 wrote:

 

It's crazy to think that I can't gift someone an app that I already have.

 

You do not "have" it. You have paid the licence fee to use it yourself, under your Apple ID. You own nothing you can give to somebody else. All software on all platforms has always worked like this.

Give your friend an iTunes gift card.

You are misunderstanding what is being said. We are not wanting to *give away* apps we have already paid for. I can gift any app in the App Store EXCEPT for an app I have already purchased. So, if I have a friend and I want to purchase an app for them and give that as a gift I can UNLESS I have the app. If I have an app, and I love it, why can I not then pay for the app again but gift it. It makes no sense seeing as if I already have and use an app I actually know if it's useful and if someone I KNOW would benefit from it. This thread is NOT about trying to GIVE AWAY FOR FREE apps we already have. It's about knowing we can gift any app in the App Store we wish to except for apps we have purchased ourselves, which seems ridiculous 

And just in response to giving a gift card, I do this often, but it's not practical for a $0.99 app