You can cancel Microsoft 365 through your Microsoft account online, by phone, or through your device settings — the method depends on how you signed up

Microsoft 365 subscriptions renew automatically each month or year. To stop the charges, you need to turn off the auto-renewal before your next billing date. The exact steps depend on whether you bought the subscription directly from Microsoft, through your device (like an iPhone or Android phone), or through a third-party retailer.

You can cancel anytime without penalty. If you cancel mid-cycle, you keep access to Microsoft 365 until your current billing period ends — Microsoft does not issue refunds for the unused portion of a month or year you have already paid for.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancellation through your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com takes about five minutes and stops charges when ready for future billing periods.
  • If you subscribed through an app store (Apple, Google Play, Amazon), you must cancel through that store's settings, not through Microsoft.
  • You keep access to Word, Excel, OneDrive and other apps until your current billing period ends, even after you cancel.
  • Microsoft does not refund unused time, so cancelling on the last day of your billing cycle wastes less money than cancelling on the first day.

Cancel through your Microsoft account online

This is the fastest route if you signed up directly with Microsoft or used a credit card on Microsoft.com. Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in with the email and password you use for Microsoft 365.

Click Subscriptions on the left side of the page. Find Microsoft 365 in the list and click Manage. On the next page, click Cancel subscription at the bottom. Microsoft will ask why you are cancelling — you can skip this or answer it. Confirm the cancellation. You will see a message saying your subscription will end on a specific date. That is your last day of access.

Check your email for a confirmation message from Microsoft. If you do not see it within a few minutes, log back into account.microsoft.com and click Subscriptions again to verify the cancellation went through.

Cancel if you subscribed through an app store

If you signed up for Microsoft 365 through the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or Amazon Appstore, you cannot cancel through Microsoft's website. You must cancel through the store where you bought it.

On iPhone or iPad: Open the Settings app, tap your name at the top, then Subscriptions. Find Microsoft 365, tap it, and tap Cancel Subscription. Confirm the cancellation.

On Android: Open Google Play, tap your profile icon in the top right, then Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions. Find Microsoft 365, tap it, and tap Cancel subscription. Confirm the cancellation.

On Amazon: Go to amazon.com, click Account & Lists, then Your Subscriptions. Find Microsoft 365, click Manage subscription, and click Cancel subscription.

Cancel by phone or chat

If you prefer to speak with someone, Microsoft offers phone and chat support. Call 1-800-642-7676 (in the United States) or visit support.microsoft.com and select Contact Us to find the phone number for your country.

Have your Microsoft account email address and the phone number or payment method associated with your subscription ready. A support agent can cancel the subscription for you and confirm the cancellation date in real time. This route takes longer than online cancellation but can be useful if you run into technical problems or want to discuss your options before cancelling.

What happens after you cancel

You keep full access to Microsoft 365 apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and others — until your current billing period ends. If you paid for a full year, you have access for the rest of that year. If you paid monthly, you have access for the rest of that month.

After your access ends, you can still view and read files from OneDrive and Outlook, but you cannot edit them or create new documents in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. If you have important files stored in OneDrive, read them before your access expires.

Your Microsoft account itself does not close when you cancel Microsoft 365. You can still use your Microsoft email address and sign into other Microsoft services like Outlook.com or Xbox.

How to avoid accidental reactivation

After you cancel, do not click links in promotional emails from Microsoft offering to reactivate your subscription. These links can restart your subscription and charges without asking for confirmation. If you receive these emails and do not want to resubscribe, delete them or mark them as spam.

If you accidentally reactivate your subscription within 60 days of cancellation, you may be able to get a refund. Contact Microsoft support with your cancellation date and the date you were charged again. Refunds are not may provide, but Microsoft sometimes makes exceptions for accidental reactivations.

Alternatives if you want to keep using Microsoft apps

If you are cancelling because of cost, you have other options. Microsoft 365 Personal costs less than the Family plan if you are the only user. Microsoft also offers free versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online at office.com — they have fewer features than the paid versions but work for basic documents and spreadsheets.

If you use Microsoft 365 through work or school, your organization pays for it and you should not cancel your personal subscription until you confirm you will still have access through your employer or institution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I get a refund if I cancel mid-month?

No. Microsoft does not refund unused time within a billing period. If you paid for a month on the first day and cancel on the fifteenth, you lose the money for the second half of the month. You keep access until the end of your paid period, but the money is not returned.

Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling?

Microsoft does not offer a pause feature. You can only cancel or let it renew. If you think you might resubscribe later, note your cancellation date so you can restart if you need to.

What if my subscription was charged but I never signed up?

Contact Microsoft support when ready with your account email and the charge date. If someone else signed up using your payment method without permission, support can cancel the subscription and may issue a refund. Report the unauthorized charge to your credit card company as well.

Do I lose my files if I cancel Microsoft 365?

No. Files in OneDrive stay in your account and you can read them anytime. Files in Outlook stay in your mailbox. You just cannot edit them in Microsoft apps after your subscription ends. You can view and read them through the web versions at outlook.com and onedrive.com.

Can I cancel and resubscribe later?

Yes. You can cancel anytime and restart your subscription whenever you want. When you restart, you will be charged the current price, which may be different from what you paid before. Your OneDrive files and Outlook messages will still be there.