iTunes and Play Store cross compatibility

BassBomb

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2005
8,390
1
81
If an app was purchased on iTunes for iPod, can the same app in Android version be installed onto an Android device? or vice versa

I am going to guess the answer is NO because they operate on different protocols... It would be nice if it was allowed (assuming you have the download for the right OS) since some software you typically are paying for the license

I have Where's my Water on Android paid and I wish I could port it to my iPod
 

zerogear

Diamond Member
Jun 4, 2000
5,611
9
81
No. You can try to barter with the dev if the app is developed by the same developer.
 

Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
8,463
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So you will jailbreak the iPod and pirate the app?

Does raise an interesting ethical question. I'm pretty sure that most people here on this form would be more than okay with a person downloading a DRM-free version of a movie if they had paid for that same movie in some other format that has DRM (e.g. Blu-Ray, Amazon, iTunes) and wanted to use it on an unsupported device.
 

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
141
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I believe if this were a case of emulation, he'd be in the green. If I'm not mistaken, if you own a (for example) PS2 game, there's nothing illegal about downloading a ripped copy to use in an emulator. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

There may be a licensing reason as to why "pirating" the iOS app may be illegal, but I personally would have no ethical objection.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
454
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Of course that would be illegal... How is there even a question? It's only a couple bucks at worst. Quit being cheap and buy the app already. Yes it'd be great if I bought one copy and it worked on both devices, but since it doesn't you can't justify stealing. I bought Madden on the 360, and if I wanted it on the ps3 I have to pay again. There's no moral gray area and no question about its legality, pay or don't use it.
 

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
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Of course that would be illegal... How is there even a question? It's only a couple bucks at worst. Quit being cheap and buy the app already. Yes it'd be great if I bought one copy and it worked on both devices, but since it doesn't you can't justify stealing. I bought Madden on the 360, and if I wanted it on the ps3 I have to pay again. There's no moral gray area and no question about its legality, pay or don't use it.

Exactly, it's a single f'ing dollar...
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
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Even on Android with different app stores, you have to purchase again. I purchased couple paid Android apps on the Google PlayStore I got for free on Amazon App Store because I didn't want to be tied down to Amazon App Store. And on Apple and Google Playstore, you have to pay for the same app again if you want the HD version.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
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Even on Android with different app stores, you have to purchase again. I purchased couple paid Android apps on the Google PlayStore I got for free on Amazon App Store because I didn't want to be tied down to Amazon App Store. And on Apple and Google Playstore, you have to pay for the same app again if you want the HD version.

AFAIK that last sentence is entirely up to the dev. I believe there are many apps that scale from low res devices to full HD in the same version. It's just up to the developer to charge for it. I remember reading that many devs made a separate HD version because they needed compensation for all the time put into making new HD images/graphics. Nothing was stopping them from just updating the old version though. I don't think that's the app stores fault.
 

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
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AFAIK that last sentence is entirely up to the dev. I believe there are many apps that scale from low res devices to full HD in the same version. It's just up to the developer to charge for it. I remember reading that many devs made a separate HD version because they needed compensation for all the time put into making new HD images/graphics. Nothing was stopping them from just updating the old version though. I don't think that's the app stores fault.

That's definitely the fault of the dev. However, the fact that apps only cost a dollar or so on average and users expect updates for life is at least in part the app store's fault and most likely the reason that devs are turning toward separate premium/HD apps, IAPs, etc to recoup the development costs.

This thread is a great example of the problem. The OP has only mentioned 1 app which cost $1 and he's talking about jailbreaking in order to save himself from paying another whole $1 for the same app on another device. If this were a PC app we were talking about it would likely be transferrable, but it would also cost dozens more up front.