Apple (finally) lets you give iPhone apps as gifts

Apple gave us a nice Monday surprise as it added the ability to buy an app for a friend or acquaintance as a gift via the App Store. The feature has long been available for music and movies, but until today had been mysteriously absent from the App Store since its launch almost two years ago.

If you have tried to download an iPhone or iPod touch app from the App Store after about noon (CDT) today, you will have likely be confronted with a requirement to read and agree to new App Store terms of service, which is how we were alerted to the change. It took some time for the update to propagate in the App Store system, but the drop down menu next to the price of every app offers the option to "Gift This App" in addition to "Add To Wishlist" or "Share via Facebook." We confirmed with Apple that the functionality is available store-wide, and an Apple spokesperson told Ars that she thinks the feature is "pretty cool."

There are some limitations to this, however. Gifts can only apply to the purchase price of the app—it won't work for in-app purchases or subscriptions, or for buying updates to iPhone OS for the iPod touch. Also, you cannot use gift card credit to buy a gift for someone else. Finally, gifts are strictly non-refundable.

The feature is really great, though, for users who want to give a specific app to a friend instead of a generic gift card. It's also great for developers or publishers who want to give review copies or giveaways without using up their limited promo codes.