Apple is launching a service that lets users tip each other on social media and in apps.
The company has built a new app, called Apple Pay, that allows users to tip other people.
This makes the system more like Facebook, where users can pay for things in other people’s apps, which in turn earns you more money.
The system works a little differently here, though, because the user’s phone’s hardware keypad doesn’t make it easy to tip.
“It’s pretty much like you’re tapping on someone’s phone, but it’s also pretty much a keyboard,” says Tim Draper, an analyst with Gartner.
“You can type a word or an emoji but it takes a couple taps.”
If you do want to tip someone, Apple Pay requires you to type the word “tip” in your app’s settings.
That way, you get an actual “tip.”
The system’s biggest advantage, though?
It works with just about anything.
If you use Apple Pay with a Samsung Galaxy phone, the company will send you a notification that you’ve received a tip.
You can also use it with a Google Android phone, if you’re using one of Apple’s compatible devices.
Apple’s new app is currently available for free on iOS and Mac OS X. If Apple doesn’t release an update to Apple Pay for Macs, it could eventually add a feature like this.
“We’re really focused on the mobile world,” says Draper.
“There’s a lot of apps out there that are based on the web and the mobile space.
That’s the future.”
The Verge contacted Apple for comment.
