How to Manage or Cancel Apple Subscriptions

Have you ever been stuck in a subscription that you can’t easily cancel? Various digital platforms, like streaming services and apps, are notorious for offering free trials to entice users to subscribe. Yet, these apps make it difficult to cancel unwanted subscriptions by giving users unclear cancellation instructions.

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission proposed an amendment to the Negative Option Rule, a law that combats unfair and deceptive practices related to recurring payment programs. They proposed a “click-to-cancel” provision, which is a simple cancellation mechanism implemented by companies so users can cancel recurring payments as easily as subscribing to them.

While the proposal has yet to be enacted, here are tips to help you get rid of unwanted subscriptions on your Apple devices.

Cancel an app subscription on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro

There are different ways to delete subscriptions on Apple devices. Jump to the section that’s most relevant to your device.

How to cancel a subscription on your iPhone

The first step to removing unwanted subscriptions is to know how to find subscriptions on my phone. The video from Apple Support below gives a clear picture.

How to cancel a missing subscription

But how do you stop subscriptions if you can’t find them on your account? Your first option is to search your email for any “receipt from Apple” or “invoice from Apple”. Check the Apple ID used to pay for the subscription and make sure you’re signed in to that account.

If you don’t find a receipt from Apple, that means you bought the subscription from another company. Sometimes, you can buy subscriptions from a company that doesn’t involve your Apple ID, and the company will bill you directly. You can check your card billing statement to know the company and get in touch with them directly to remove the subscription.

But what if you’re buried under loads of unwanted email subscriptions? Well, there’s a quick way to get rid of them. Clean Email cleans 5 million emails daily by offering users a one-click option to get rid of spam and junk mail. It’s also 100% secure and private since Clean Email doesn’t sell your data to third parties.

“If you use a bulk unsubscribe email servicer, make sure you are using a safe service. Some free services could collect and sell your data. If you are willing to pay for such a service, Clean Email is safe and does not sell their user’s data.”

Bryan Robinson, Ph.D., Forbes

Here’s a step-by-step guide to stop charges on apps you don’t need and cancel free trials on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro.

Go to Settings.
Tap on Your Name, then Subscriptions.

Look for the unwanted app under the list of Active Subscriptions.
Tap the unwanted subscription.
Scroll down until you see Cancel Subscription.
Tap Confirm on the dialog box.

If you don’t see a Cancel Subscription button, check the App if you see an expiration message in red text. If you do, then the subscription will be canceled.

Manage Apple subscriptions on the iPhone and iPad

If you’ve always wondered how to find all my subscriptions on iPhone and iPad, then the video below answers your question. Watch where and how you can easily manage your Apple subscriptions.

How to manage Apple subscriptions on MacBook

You can find subscriptions on Mac and unsubscribe from them by following these steps.

For macOS Ventura and higher: Go to System Settings. For macOS Monterey and earlier: Go to System Preferences.
Sign in with or click your Apple ID.
Go to Media & Purchases.
Look for Subscriptions, then click Manage.
This will open your Settings in the App Store.
From the App Store, you’ll find a Cancel a Subscription button like the one below. Click it to be redirected to iTunes, where you can cancel unwanted subscriptions.

How to cancel a trial subscription

You can cancel a trial subscription using any of the methods described above. Just keep in mind that trial subscriptions stop working as soon as you cancel them and not at the end of the current billing cycle.

For example, Apple lets new users try its Apple News+ subscription service for free for 30 days. If you sign up for the free trial but decide that you would rather cancel it before getting billed, you should wait until the trial is about to end because it will stop working as soon as you cancel it.

How to manage Apple subscriptions on Apple TV

Open the Settings app on your Apple TV.
Select the Accounts option.
Under Accounts, select Manage Subscriptions.

Cancel a subscription on Android

Some Apple services are available on Android devices, and you can stop paying for them on the web. These services are Apple Music and Apple TV+.

To cancel Apple Music, go to music.apple.com and sign in to your account. Tap the Account icon and choose Settings. Scroll to Subscriptions and select Manage. Tap Cancel Subscription.

To cancel Apple TV+, go to tv.apple.com. Sign in to your account and tap the Account icon. Follow the same steps as canceling Apple Music by going to Settings > Subscription > Manage > Cancel Subscription.

Cancel a subscription on your Windows PC

You can stop monthly subscriptions for Apple services straight from their Windows app. Apple Music and Apple TV have dedicated apps for Windows, which include an option to cancel any recurring billing.

Take note that you need to be using Windows 10 or higher to get these apps. If your Windows PC doesn’t support these apps, you can still use iTunes for Windows.

Cancel a subscription using Apple Music or Apple TV Windows app

Open the Apple TV or Apple Music app.
Sign in with your Apple ID or click your name at the bottom sidebar.
Choose View My Account.
Scroll to Settings.
Look for Subscriptions and click Manage.
Search for the unwanted subscription, then click Edit.
Click Cancel Subscription.

Cancel a subscription using an older iTunes Windows app

Open iTunes on your Windows PC.
Go to the top menu bar and choose Account.
Choose View My Account.
Scroll to Settings.
Look for Subscriptions and click Manage.
Find the unwanted subscription you want to cancel. Click Edit.
Click Cancel Subscription.

In both cases, if you don’t find the Cancel Subscription button, then the subscription has already been canceled. You can double-check by looking for the Expiration Message (in red) beside the app.

Special Cancelation Steps for Certain Countries

For most countries, canceling a paid subscription doesn’t have an immediate effect. You can stop paying for an app when you cancel it, but you can continue using the app until the end of the billing cycle. This happens because you’ve canceled the recurring charge, but you’ve still paid for the remaining days of the billing cycle.

In some countries like Germany, Israel, South Africa, and Turkey, canceling a subscription has an immediate effect. You’ll instantly lose access to the app so you can receive prorated refunds at any time. Click here to learn about the special circumstances for canceling apps in these countries.

The cancellation doesn’t work: what to do

While the above cancelation steps are straightforward to follow, sometimes there’s a glitch, and they don’t work. As Apple users reported in October 2023 and January 2024 through the Apple Discussion forum, nothing happens after clicking the Cancel Subscription button.

If you face this dilemma, here are some options that work for various affected users.

Use the blue Cancel Subscription button from the Apple Support. It will open the iTunes app and let you unsubscribe with your Apple ID. You need to have a MacBook to make this solution work.
Block the payments by your credit card or cancel the card entirely. Be wary though that canceling your card will also cancel all of your other subscriptions. So only use this solution if all other options fail.

What if I want to subscribe back?

Changing your mind is common, and you may discover that you want to resubscribe to an app. Or perhaps you’ve accidentally unsubscribed to an app you still need. Apple makes it easy to resubscribe with just a few clicks.

You can go back to Settings and find the app you want to bring back. Tap it and select a payment option. If there are multiple subscription options, you can choose the one that works for you.

Confirm the changes and resubscribe

Every time you subscribe to an app, Apple generates a random Subscriber ID that is unique for you and the app developer. Once you end your subscription and don’t resubscribe within 180 days, the Subscriber ID is reset. You’ll get a new one when you decide to subscribe to the app again.

How Paid Apple App Subscriptions Work

The subscription business model has gained a lot of popularity in recent years because it offers several benefits to both app developers and customers.

Developers like charging customers a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service because it provides them with a reliable, consistent revenue stream. This, in turn, gives developers the confidence to scale their operations, implement new features, and shift the focus from customer acquisition to customer retention.

On the other hand, customers enjoy the subscription business model because it lets them get access to a vast amount of content for a modest recurring price with an option to cancel at any time. Thanks to the subscription business model customers no longer need to worry about upgrades and new versions because they are included in the subscription—no additional purchases are required.

Considering how many benefits the subscription business model offers to both app developers and customers, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Apple’s App Store is full of apps with in-app subscriptions. Some apps and services, such as Apple News+, require a subscription to work, while other apps and services offer subscriptions to unlock various premium features.

Regardless of which subscription you sign up for, you can always cancel it with just a few clicks. The sections above show the easiest way to cancel subscriptions on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

Still having problems? Contact Apple Support

We hope this guide answers the question of how do you cancel an app on your Apple device. If you’re still having trouble, you can always get in touch with Apple Support for personalized and more thorough assistance.

Apple Subscription Cancellations: 2024 Manual