# Can Android Market-purchased software be transferred between devices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687 "2011-11-02T22:44:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687/1 "2011-11-02T22:44:56Z")
I’ve had a Motorola Droid for about a year and a half now, and I’ve purchased a number of games for it, as well as some productivity software. Today, I plunked down some money for a Toshiba Thrive tablet, and since I won’t get it for a couple of weeks, I’m going to be in anticipation mode for a little while. I’m just wondering, among other things, whether I’ll need to repurchase those games and other software for the Toshiba, or if I can just re-download the same apps to the new device without having to pay again. I’m guessing it would be too good to be true for me to not to have to buy them a second time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687/2 "2011-11-02T23:03:49Z")
While there may be counter examples any software I’ve bought has been downloadable for free from any device I’ve signed into my google account. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687/3 "2011-11-02T23:09:19Z")
The Android Market is tied to the Google account you used when you activated your phone. I’m on my third Android phone, and there’s never been a problem with re-downloading paid apps to the new ones. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687/4 "2011-11-02T23:13:42Z")
Excellent! Thanks, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687/5 "2011-11-02T23:17:33Z")
It’s been easier to transfer them using the fairly new web-based market from my PC > **[Android Apps on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/games?hl=en)** > > Enjoy millions of the latest Android apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines & more. Anytime, anywhere, across your devices. but not a major hassle doing it through the phone app either ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687/6 "2011-11-02T23:44:07Z")
You know, you’re making me realize that I used the term “transferred” erroneously. I actually intend (or, at least, I hope) to keep the software on both devices simultaneously. Does that change the answer at all? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-android-market-purchased-software-be-transferred-between-devices/601687/7 "2011-11-03T02:25:22Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > You know, you’re making me realize that I used the term “transferred” erroneously. I actually intend (or, at least, I hope) to keep the software on both devices simultaneously. > > Does that change the answer at all? No. Once you buy an app, it’s available on any Android device that’s set up with the same Gmail account. All you have to do is open Market and go to My Apps; all the apps you’ve purchased through that Gmail account will be listed (it’ll say “purchased” rather than “installed”). All you need to do is click on it and install it. The only problem you may encounter is that some apps will only run on a phone, and not a tablet. They may provide a different version for the tablet, and they may make you pay for it even if you’ve already bought the phone version. (Though I’ve only come across one such example so far: the Swiftkey X Keyboard.)