If you’ve been meaning to gift some new apps to a friend or two using your iPhone 5 or similar handset running iOS 6, you can’t. Apple had the feature removed and acknowledged that it’s no longer possible to gift apps via iOS 6 using an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad.
According to iPad Insights, they received the following quote from Apple regarding the removal of the option to gift apps from the iTunes app store to other handset users, stating…
Currently, app gifting is not available from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 6. However, you can gift iOS apps from the iTunes Store on a Mac or PC.
The last part is kind of a vital part to the news: If you’re using a Mac or PC you can still gift apps to other handset users who are running iOS 6, the only drawback is that you have to be using the same regional iTunes app store. So someone from Bangladesh using the app store won’t be able to receive a gift from someone using the app store in Sarajevo.
The upside…well…there isn’t really an upside. No word on if this will be fixed. If you’re using a handset that still uses iOS 5 you’ll be able to gift apps to other handset users running iOS 5.