Cancel Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Live through your Microsoft account

You can stop your Xbox subscription by logging into your Microsoft account online and turning off the automatic renewal. This works whether you pay monthly or have a longer plan. The subscription will continue until the current billing period ends, then stop — you won't be charged again.

Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in with the email and password you use for Xbox. Click your name or profile picture in the top right, then select View your Microsoft account. On the left side, click Subscriptions. Find the Xbox subscription you want to cancel — it will show as "Xbox Game Pass" or "Xbox Live Gold" depending on what you have. Click on it.

You'll see a button that says Manage or Turn off recurring billing. Click it. The next screen will ask you to confirm that you want to stop the automatic renewal. Click Confirm or Turn off. You're done. You'll get a confirmation email, and your subscription will end on the date shown on that screen.

Key Takeaways

  • Log into account.microsoft.com, go to Subscriptions, find your Xbox subscription, and click the button to turn off recurring billing.
  • Your subscription continues until the current billing period ends — cancelling does not cut off access when ready.
  • You will receive a confirmation email with the exact date your subscription ends.
  • If you cannot find the Subscriptions section, your subscription may be tied to a different Microsoft account than the one you're using.
  • You can restart the subscription at any time by going back to the same screen and turning recurring billing back on.

Cancel through the Xbox app or console

If you don't want to use a web browser, you can cancel directly from your Xbox console or the Xbox app on Windows. The steps are shorter but lead to the same result.

On an Xbox console, press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide. Go to Profile & system, then Settings. Select Account, then Subscriptions. Highlight the subscription you want to cancel and press A. Select Manage, then Turn off recurring billing, and confirm.

On Windows 10 or 11, open the Xbox app. Click your profile picture in the top left. Select Settings. Go to Account, then Subscriptions. Click the subscription you want to cancel, then Manage, then Turn off recurring billing.

What happens after you cancel

After you turn off recurring billing, you keep full access to Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Live until the current billing period ends. If you were charged on the 15th of the month, you'll have access through the 14th of next month. You can still play games, access online multiplayer, and use any other features included in that subscription during this time.

On the day your subscription ends, you'll lose access to Game Pass games (though any games you own outright will still be playable). Xbox Live Gold will expire, which means you won't be able to play online multiplayer games, though you can still use apps like Netflix or browse the store. You'll see a notification on your console or in the app when the subscription is about to end.

Restart your subscription later

You don't lose your Xbox account or your saved games when a subscription ends. If you want to restart Game Pass or Xbox Live later, log back into your Microsoft account, go to Subscriptions, and turn recurring billing back on. You'll be charged for a new billing period starting that day.

If you had a discount code or promotional offer before, it may not be available when you restart. Check the subscription page to see what price you'll be charged before you confirm.

Cancel a gift subscription or code

If someone gave you an Xbox subscription as a gift code or through a gift card, you cannot cancel it early — the subscription will run for the full period it was purchased for. You can only turn off automatic renewal so it doesn't renew after that period ends.

To stop it from renewing, follow the same steps as above: go to account.microsoft.com, find the subscription in your Subscriptions list, and turn off recurring billing. The gift subscription will end on its original expiration date, and you won't be charged for a renewal.

If you can't find your subscription to cancel

The most common reason you can't find a subscription is that it's tied to a different Microsoft account than the one you're currently logged into. Check whether you use multiple email addresses for Xbox. You might have created your Xbox account with one email but later added a different email as your recovery address.

Go to account.microsoft.com and look at the email shown in the top right. If it's not the email you expected, click it and select View account to see all the email addresses linked to this account. If your subscription is under a different email, sign out and sign in with that email instead, then go to Subscriptions.

If you still don't see the subscription listed, it may have already been cancelled or expired. You can check your billing history to confirm. In your Microsoft account, go to Billing, then Payment history. Look for recent Xbox charges. If the most recent charge is more than a month old, the subscription has already ended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my games if I cancel Game Pass?

You'll lose access to games included in Game Pass, but any games you own outright (games you purchased, not borrowed through the subscription) will remain on your console and playable. Your save files are stored on Xbox servers, so you can pick up where you left off if you restart Game Pass later.

Can I get a refund for the current billing period?

Microsoft does not refund unused portions of a subscription period. Once you're charged, that billing period is yours to use through its end date. If you were charged in error or believe there's a mistake, contact Xbox Support through your account page to discuss your specific situation.

What's the difference between Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold?

Xbox Live Gold is the basic online service that lets you play multiplayer games and use apps. Game Pass is a larger subscription that includes hundreds of games you can read and play, plus online multiplayer. You can have either one, both, or neither.

Do I need to cancel before switching to a different payment method?

No. You can update your payment method in your Microsoft account without cancelling the subscription. Go to Billing, then Payment methods, and add or change your card. The subscription will continue with the new payment method.

Can someone else cancel my subscription?

Only if they have access to your Microsoft account email and password. If you share an Xbox console with family members, make sure only you can access your account settings, or use Xbox's family features to give them limited permissions instead.