Share and update apps with friends offline

Share apps with friends directly via the Play Store over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Important: This feature isn’t available in South Korea or South Africa.

• Users can share:
  • Apps available at no charge
  • App updates
• Users can’t share:
  • Paid apps
  • Books
  • Movies
  • Age-inappropriate apps
  • Corp apps
• Users can only share apps with one other person at a time.
• Both users must use Android devices.

How to share

1. Open the Google Play Store app .
2. At the top right, tap the profile icon.
3. Tap Manage apps and devices.
4. In the 'Overview' tab, next to 'Share apps', tap Send.
5. Select which apps to share.
6. Tap Send.
7. Choose who to send the apps to.
8. On their device, get the person to whom you want to send the app to tap Receive in Google Play.
9. Get them to follow the instructions on 'How to receive' to receive apps.
10. Make sure that the pairing code you get matches the one on your friend’s phone.
11. After your friend downloads the apps, at the top right, tap Disconnect.

How to receive

1. Open the Google Play Store app .
2. At the top right, tap the profile icon.
3. Tap Manage apps and devices.
4. In the 'Overview' tab, next to 'Share apps', tap Receive.
5. After the sender shares the apps, wait for a pairing code. If the code matches the code on your friend’s phone, tap Receive.
6. Install the apps.

Troubleshoot

• If your phone can’t find the receiver, make sure that:
  • The devices are within 6 m of one another. 
    • Check that the receiver is in the 'Receive' section of the Play Store
  • Permissions for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Location are turned on for both phones. 
    • Learn how to turn on Wi-Fi. 
    • Learn how to turn on Bluetooth.
    • Learn how to turn on Location.
• Not enough storage 
  • Your friend must have enough free space.

 Learn how to free up space.