Cancel a YouTube subscription from your account settings

To stop a YouTube subscription charge, log into your YouTube account, go to your profile icon in the top right corner, and select Purchases and subscriptions. Click Manage subscriptions, find the subscription you want to cancel, and select the three-dot menu next to it. Choose Cancel subscription and confirm. The charge will stop after your current billing period ends — you keep access until that date.

The exact wording of menu items can shift slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or phone, but the path is the same across devices. If you subscribed through the YouTube app on your phone, you may need to cancel through your phone's app store instead (Apple App Store or Google Play Store), which is covered in the section below.

YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, and YouTube TV all cancel the same way through your account settings. If you're unsure which subscription you have, the Manage subscriptions page lists each one with its renewal date and price.

Key Takeaways

  • YouTube subscriptions cancel through your account settings under Purchases and subscriptions, and you keep access through the end of your current billing period.
  • If you subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your phone, you must cancel through that app store, not through YouTube itself.
  • Cancellation takes effect when ready, but your next charge will not occur — you are not charged a cancellation fee.
  • You can resubscribe at any time after cancellation without penalty or waiting period.

Cancel a subscription you bought through your phone's app store

If you signed up for YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, or YouTube TV through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your phone, you cannot cancel through YouTube's website. Instead, you must cancel through the app store where you made the purchase.

On iPhone or iPad: Open the App Store app, tap your profile icon in the top right, select Subscriptions, find YouTube in the list, tap it, and choose Cancel Subscription. You will see the cancellation date and your final charge date before you confirm.

On Android: Open Google Play Store, tap your profile icon in the top right, go to Payments and subscriptions, select Subscriptions, tap the YouTube subscription you want to cancel, and choose Cancel subscription. Google Play will show you when the cancellation takes effect.

App store cancellations work the same way as YouTube account cancellations — your access continues through the end of your billing period, and no cancellation fee applies. If you are unsure which method you used to subscribe, check your email for a receipt from either Apple or Google.

What happens after you cancel

After you cancel, your subscription remains active until the end of your current billing cycle. If your renewal date is in two weeks, you have access for those two weeks at no additional charge. YouTube will not charge you again after that date.

You will lose access to premium features the moment your billing period ends. For YouTube Premium, that means ads return and offline viewing stops. For YouTube Music Premium, you lose ad-free listening and offline downloads. For YouTube TV, you lose access to the live channels and on-demand library.

You can resubscribe at any time after cancellation. There is no waiting period, no penalty, and no loss of your watch history, playlists, or saved videos. Your account data stays exactly as it was.

Troubleshooting: subscription still appears active

If you cancelled but the subscription still shows as active in your account, check your billing period end date. The subscription will show as active until that date passes, even though no future charge is scheduled. This is normal and not an error.

If you see a charge after your cancellation date, contact YouTube Support through your account settings. Go to Help and feedback at the bottom of the menu, select Send feedback, and describe the charge. You can also visit the YouTube Help Center and search for "subscription refund" to see options for disputing a charge.

If you cancelled through your phone's app store but the subscription still shows in YouTube's account settings, the two systems may not have synced yet. Wait 24 hours and refresh your YouTube account page. If it still shows after a day, cancel again through the app store to may support the cancellation goes through.

Pausing instead of cancelling

YouTube does not offer a pause feature for subscriptions. You either keep the subscription active or cancel it. However, if you think you might want to return soon, cancellation is reversible — you can resubscribe the moment you want access again without any penalty.

Some users cancel and resubscribe on a monthly basis depending on whether they are actively using the service. There is no limit to how many times you can do this, and your watch history and preferences will be waiting for you when you return.

Cancelling YouTube TV specifically

YouTube TV cancels the same way as other YouTube subscriptions, but the timing works slightly differently. If you cancel mid-month, you lose access to live TV and the on-demand library when ready — you do not keep access through the end of the billing period like you do with YouTube Premium.

YouTube TV charges monthly on the same day each month. If you cancel on the 15th and your billing date is the 20th, you will not be charged on the 20th. If you cancel after your billing date has passed, you have already paid for that month and will lose access right away.

Before you cancel YouTube TV, check your billing date in your account settings so you know whether you will lose access when ready or at the end of the month. You can also contact YouTube TV support through the Help Center if you want to know your exact refund status before you cancel.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

YouTube does not issue refunds for partial months. If you cancel after your billing date, you have already paid for that month and will not receive money back. You keep access through the end of the billing period for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, but YouTube TV cuts access when ready upon cancellation.

Can I cancel someone else's subscription?

No. Only the account holder can cancel a subscription through their own account settings or app store. If a family member set up the subscription under their account, they must be the one to cancel it. If you share a YouTube account with someone else, either person can cancel, but you will both lose access.

What if I forgot which subscription I have?

Go to your YouTube account settings, select Purchases and subscriptions, and click Manage subscriptions. This page lists every active YouTube subscription tied to your account, the price, and the renewal date. If nothing appears there, you do not have an active YouTube subscription.

Do I lose my videos if I cancel YouTube Premium?

No. Cancelling YouTube Premium does not delete your channel, videos, playlists, or watch history. You straightforward lose the premium features like ad-free viewing and offline downloads. Your account and all your data remain exactly as they were.

How do I cancel if I do not remember my password?

You will need to reset your password before you can access your account settings to cancel. Go to the YouTube login page, click Forgot password?, and follow the steps to reset it using your recovery email or phone number. Once you have reset your password, log in and cancel through your account settings.