How can I gift an app that I already purchased?

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

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

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!

I can't believe that we're unable to "gift an app" (ie purchase a license of the app for someone else) after we've already purchased it yourself. This is absolutely ridiculous.

Very disappointing. Please fix this Apple.

Also it's a bit confusing that there is an "accepted" answer here, when there is apparently no solution to the problem?

I am reading the instructions properly, doing this on my iPhone, I go to the store, bring up the app I have already purchased, click the share button top right ... pop up window comes up with NO *gift*.

Am currently looking in the store from iTunes on my computer. I can't even see a share option on there.

Hey! Surprise! You can gift an app you've already purchased, but via the share button rather than drop down menu.

It seems totally counterintuitive (okay, it IS totally counterintuitive) and apple has full instructions (with pictures!!) at this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2736

if you don't like links 😉 then... app store>app you want to gift and already own>share button>gift button>send gift!

happy gifting!

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 😝

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.

tonefox wrote:

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.

Actually, you are not right. We DO *have* the App, right on our devices ... in that respect you are wrong. Maybe we don't *own* the apps outright, but we do HAVE them on our devices and in our PURCHACES. It is THIS fact that keeps us from gifting (even free Apps) to our friends. And again, I want to stress, not GIVING the Apps to friends .... gifting, even if that means PAYING AGAIN for an app to gift to a friend. Do you understand what is being said?

If I rang MS and ordered Win8 and paid for it (even though I owned it already) and said I wanted them to deliver this to a friend as a GIFT, they wouldn't turn around and tell me I couldn't do that because I have already purchased it and have it on my computer!!

Sadly ashred ... following those instructions, if you already have an app on your device, the *Gift App* icon will not appear and as such you cannot gift an app that you have already purchased and have on your device, which is stupid to say the least. Again, I want to note here, I am not trying to transfer my app as a gift to someone else, I am trying to purchase an App for the second time and gift that to someone, but Apple just wont allow this. Thanks for the instructions anyway, it's a shame this doesn't work for Apps we already own.