Apple Adds Gifting to iBookstore

Apple has added the ability to gift ebooks to friends and family through the iBookstore, reports Macworld. Users have long been able to purchase songs, movies or TV shows through iTunes, as well as standard gift cards, but the ability to gift a particular book is new.

Books can be gifted immediately, or the gift email notification can be held for a particular date, making holiday shopping particularly easy. Apple added the ability to gift App Store apps back in 2010.

iBooks Gifting

Gifting in the iBookstore works identically to Apple’s iTunes and App Store counterparts: Just choose the book you’d like to gift, then tap either the dropdown arrow next to the price (on a Mac) or the Share button (on an iOS device). On a Mac, select “Gift This Book”; on iOS, choose “Gift”—then add the recipient’s email, the sender’s name, a brief message, and the date you want it sent (now, or later). One note: On iOS, it looks like you have to tap the “Today” field under “Send Gift” in order to change to a different date.

Users can only purchase gifts for recipients using their same country store; there is no ability to gift books internationally.

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iPhone Air

Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:22 am PDT by
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports. The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
maxresdefault

Here's How the iOS 26.1 Transparency Toggle Changes Liquid Glass

Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:24 am PDT by
Apple plans to launch a new type of iPhone every year for the foreseeable future, according to an Asia-based source. The detailed information was shared by the account "yeux1122" in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver, citing domestic trend and component research companies. Corroborating other reports, Apple will apparently launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a...
cadillac lyric infotainment

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars

Wednesday October 22, 2025 11:34 am PDT by
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down. In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
iOS 26

What's New in iOS 26.1 Beta 4

Monday October 20, 2025 1:02 pm PDT by
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below. Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...
kohler toilet sensor

Kohler Launches $600 iPhone-Connected Toilet Camera That Monitors Your Health Through Waste Analysis

Monday October 20, 2025 1:42 pm PDT by
Kohler is expanding its line of bathroom products with Dekoda, an iPhone-connected device that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim (via The Verge). The device's included "sensors" point into the toilet bowl, allowing it to analyze what goes on in the bathroom. According to Kohler, Dekoda is a health tracker that can monitor gut health and hydration, as well as detect the presence of...
sam sung auction

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Wednesday October 22, 2025 4:44 pm PDT by
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name. Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....

Top Rated Comments

Futurix Avatar
155 months ago
Here's a thought, you could always ask the person you're gifting it to if they have it already. ;)

Here's a thought, a lot of gifts are supposed to be a surprise.

----------

Nice. Still waiting on Mac App Store gifting.

That would make corporate purchases for much easier!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sfrancis928 Avatar
155 months ago
Nice. Still waiting on Mac App Store gifting.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnyb Avatar
155 months ago
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/gift
So, a dictionary has correctly recorded the transformation in usage of a noun to a verb. What's your point? I expect it also records the fact that 'task' has, excruciatingly, become a verb as well. It's the job of a dictionary to reflect changes in usage. The fact that it does so is irrelevant. Mindlessly quoting an entry in a dictionary adds nothing. You have to think; thinking is so important.

The issue is: does 'verbing' make sense when we already have words that will do?

"It's now possible to give a book from the iBookstore" (If I give you a book it's a gift, wouldn't you say?)

"It's now possible to gift a book from the iBookstore"

What's the point of the latter, when the former is perfectly clear?

http://grammar.about.com/od/grammarfaq/f/verbingfaq.htm

I'm hoping that someone will reply "It's not that big of a deal" to make my day complete.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
decksnap Avatar
155 months ago
I'm still waiting on the feature to loan books to friends.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Icaras Avatar
155 months ago
Nice. Still waiting on Mac App Store gifting.
Yep, agreed!

Apple also needs to add the Wishlist feature to the iOS app of iBooks as well as the Mac App Store.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
milo Avatar
155 months ago
What happens if you buy a book, app, or music for someone and they already have it? Is the software smart enough to know they already have it if purchased from Apple (makes the most sense in the case of apps)? And if not, do users have the option of exchange or return? That has always been the main reason I've avoided buying apps as gifts.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)