Google Play Store, the pre-installed app store on almost all Android devices, is getting a new feature that lets you ask someone else to pay for an app you want to use or for an in-app purchase. Announced at the Google I/O 2024, the new feature can come in handy if you are unable to make purchases or want someone else to pay on your behalf. According to a new report by Android Authority, the new Google Play Store functionality appears in the form of a 'ask someone else to pay for this item' button, and works with all apps that use Google Play's billing service. To use the new feature, developers don't have to do any additional work other than integrating version six or later of the Play Billing Library. Clicking on the button will generate a payment link which can be shared with the other person to complete that transaction. The link is accompanied by text that mentions the item the user wants to purchase. However, the person paying will need to know your full email address and can also ask for a refund. The link can be shared from the Android share sheet and the person who opens it will have 24 hours to make the payment, after which it will automatically expire. Google says the functionality will be initially available for those living in India, but it is still unclear if and when the feature will be expanded to other markets. Apart from the 'Ask someone else to pay for this item' feature, Google Play Store is also rolling out a bunch of other features like the ability for family managers to complete a purchase for child accounts via web links and new badges to reflect trending items.
