Nearly all apps and services today require you to sign up as a subscriber. This spreads the cost over time, rather than charging you one-time. However, it is easy to lose track and waste money on services that you don’t use.
You might be curious about how to cancel subscriptions on your iPad or iPhone if you enrol frequently using your tablet or phone.
We will show you how you can manage all subscriptions that you have signed up through your Apple account.
How to check subscriptions on your iPhone
Apple allows you to view all subscriptions that are currently active using your Apple ID. These include third-party subscriptions in-app, subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Arcade.
Here are some places to look for subscriptions on an iPhone
- Open the Setting app for your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap your name to the top of the list.
- Tap Subscribe on the next page.
It’s a good idea that you turn on the Renewal Receipts slider while you’re there. This will send an email to you each time Apple renews a subscription. It makes it easier for you to keep track of when you pay.
Settings > [Your Name] > Media and Purchases > View Account > Purchase history. You can view all of your Apple purchases, including renewals and downloads for free.
How to cancel subscriptions on iPhone
Follow the steps above to access the Subscribe page with your Apple ID. You’ll be able to see all active subscriptions that have been billed through Apple. You can unsubscribe or change the subscription by tapping it.
The below image shows you how to cancel Apple Music. To see more information and to change your subscription type, tap Apple Music membership. This will show you which plan you have, the renewal date, and any other options you have for subscribing.
Below you will see the Cancel Subscription or Cancel No Charge Trial buttons. To unsubscribe, tap this button and confirm it.
Most services let you continue to use the service after you cancel your paid subscription. However, this is not true for all free trials. You’ll lose your premium Apple Music service access if you cancel your Apple Music trial.
If you don’t want the full free trial to end but still want to use the app, we suggest setting up a reminder on your phone to cancel the subscription.
You can resubscribe to any subscription if you change your mind. Tap the name of the subscription in this Expired section. The next page will offer you the option to start your subscription again. Once you confirm the subscription, it will be activated once again. Don’t forget Apple One which allows you to bundle multiple Apple services at a discounted price.
How to manage your iCloud Storage plan
One exception is the iCloud storage. Apple will invoice you for any iCloud+ plan that includes more storage than the default 5GB, but it doesn’t appear on one Subscriptions page.
To unsubscribe to iCloud+ plans for your iPhone, visit Settings > (Your name) > iCloud > Manage storage. To return to the free plan, tap Modify Storage Plan and then Upgrade Options. Here you can also switch to a different plan.
How to cancel Apple Subscriptions on your Mac
You can cancel your app subscription on your Mac if you wish. iTunes is no longer available on macOS Catalina since macOS Catalina. The App Store now offers the ability to cancel subscriptions.
Next, open the App Store on Mac. Click your name and the profile icon at the bottom-left corner. Next, click View information in the top-right. To proceed, you may be asked to confirm your Apple ID password.
Scroll down to the Manage section once you have viewed the Account Info page. The Subscriptions section will appear. Click Manage at the top of the page to view the details.
This panel is very similar to the one on iPhone and iPad. You can unsubscribe or change your Apple or third-party subscription as long as you have the same Apple ID.
How to cancel Apple Subscriptions for Windows
You can manage your Apple subscriptions using the iTunes subscriptions page if you have a Windows PC. If you do not have iTunes for Windows, download it now. Next, open iTunes and go to Account > View My Account. You will be taken to the same panel as the App Store’s Account Info. Before you can see it, you might need to confirm your Apple ID.
Scroll down to the bottom, and you’ll find a Subscriptions section. Next to it, click Manage. You can then cancel or edit your subscriptions.
Manage Other Subscriptions for Your iPhone
You didn’t find the subscription that you wanted using any of the methods above. You will need to unsubscribe in another way. This subscription management applies only to apps you have subscribed to via your Apple ID. It will not show subscriptions made via other devices or services.
You might have signed up for Spotify Premium on your Android device or joined Netflix directly from the website. These accounts can be accessed on your iPhone by signing in to their apps. Apple does not have any connection with your subscription.
To manage your subscription, you will need to contact the service directly. You can log in to your subscription by doing a quick Google search.
To find out where your subscription came from, look at your credit card statement. For direct subscriptions, vendors such as “Apple” and “App Store” will signify a subscription via your Apple ID. However, the company name will most likely be visible for subscriptions through direct subscriptions. You may have subscribed to a service such as Amazon Pay or PayPal.
If you use Apple Family Sharing, it is possible that one of your family members has signed up for a subscription. This subscription cannot be managed from your Apple ID. You’ll need to ask them for help or use one of their devices to manage it. You might also pay another person for a shareable subscription , and you will need to speak with them.
Last, ensure that you did not subscribe using a different Apple ID to the one you are currently using. For receipt emails from Apple, check any other email accounts.
Note about Subscribing through Apple
You can cancel your iPhone app subscriptions by following these steps.
Be aware that Apple services often come at a higher cost when you subscribe to them. Apple takes 30% of all App Store purchases, which means developers are charged more to compensate for that loss.
Spotify Premium, for example, costs $9.99 per month. Instead, you will pay $12.99 per month if you sign up via the iPhone app. This is not a reason to do so, as both services are identical.
This has changed somewhat since 2021. Apple allows certain apps to link directly to signup pages. This means that subscriptions through Apple are now charged at the regular price, rather than being charged more.
We recommend that you check the website of any third-party subscriptions you have to Apple to determine if they are available at a lower price. It is possible that you may be forced to pay a higher price because of grandfathering. This does not apply to Apple’s first-party services.
You can cancel your iPhone subscriptions to save some money
Although subscriptions can be a convenient way of accessing services that you use monthly, they can quickly become out of control. To ensure you aren’t wasting your money, it is worth taking a moment to look at the subscriptions that you have on your iPhone.
You can use many other tools to manage subscriptions, particularly if you share them among friends.
