Apple now lets you gift in-app purchases

While it has been possible for some time to give iOS apps to others as a gift, you have not been able to do the same with in-app purchases.

Now, however, if you want to buy in-app content as a Christmas present for friends or family (what greater sign of affection, eh?!) you can do so. Apple has changed its App Store Review Guidelines giving developers the option to enable the gifting of in-app purchases.

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While Apple has not given details of how in-app gifting will work, the option is revealed in an updated version of its App Store Review Guidelines. The change -- as spotted by MacRumors -- reads: "Apps may enable gifting of items that are eligible for in-app purchase to others. Such gifts may only be refunded to the original purchaser and may not be exchanged".

At the moment, the gifting of apps is via the App Store, but it's not clear how in-app purchase gifting will be handled. It could the case that this is also done via the App Store, but there is also the chance that an interface could be made available to developers to integrate into their apps.

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