Google is reportedly bringing P2P app sharing to the Play Store
Android users would be able to share apps to each other's phones, a report says.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
You might soon be able to share apps with friends.
Peer-to-peer app sharing could be coming to the Google Play store, according to a report Thursday. You can already use Nearby Share to transfer files like images and videos on Android, but this capability would allow friends to share apps between phones , Android Police reported.
The My Apps section on the Play Store could be used to send apps offline via peer-to-peer sharing, the report said, citing a teardown of the Google Play Store app.
According to the publication, here's what you'll need to do to share apps once the capability launches:
- Select an app to share
- Choose a friend's nearby device to share the app to
- Both people must open the Play Store and connect to each other
- The app will then be sent over from one phone to the other using Bluetooth, NFC and Wi-Fi.
Paid apps are unlikely to be included in the capability, the report noted. Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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