You'll need to add the recipient to your Google Play Family Library, which is ideal for actual families, but not a perfect solution if you're gifting an app to a friend. There's a drawback to this method, however.
In essence, you'll buy the app using your own account, then the recipient will be able to download the app as if they paid for it. The best way to buy an Android app for somebody else is to add it to your Google Play Family Library. Jump to a section: Family Library method | Google Pay method | gift card method Method 1: Add the App to Your Family Library Depending on who you're buying for, one of these methods will work best for you. You can either buy them a Google Play gift card, send them money over Gmail with Google Pay, or add them to your Google Play Family library, then simply buy the app from your own account. None are perfectly ideal, but I'll outline a few different methods that let you buy an app for someone else. The Google Play Store doesn't have such functionality, but there are still a few workarounds to accomplish the same goal: gifting an app to an Android user. The iTunes App Store makes it easy to buy an app or game on someone else's behalf, and it's a great way to send an iPhone user a thoughtful gift.
