Cancel YouTube Premium through your Google Account settings
You cancel YouTube Premium by going into your Google Account, finding the subscription section, and clicking the button to cancel. The process takes about two minutes. YouTube stops charging you at the end of your current billing cycle — you keep access until that date, then your account reverts to the free version.
The fastest route is through a web browser on a computer or phone. Go to myaccount.google.com, sign in with the Google account that pays for Premium, and look for "Subscriptions and services" or "Payments and subscriptions" in the left menu. Click into it, find YouTube Premium in the list, and select "Manage subscription." A button labeled "Cancel subscription" or "Turn off auto-renew" appears on that screen — click it and confirm.
If you subscribed through the YouTube app on your phone instead of through Google directly, the cancellation path is different and depends on whether you use iPhone or Android. The app itself does not have a cancel button; you have to go through the store where you bought it.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube Premium cancellations go through your Google Account settings at myaccount.google.com, not through the YouTube app or website.
- You keep access to Premium features until the end of your current billing cycle, even after you cancel.
- If you subscribed on iPhone, cancel through the Apple App Store settings; if you subscribed on Android, cancel through Google Play Store settings.
- YouTube does not charge a cancellation fee — you are only charged through the date your subscription ends.
Cancel a subscription bought through the Apple App Store
If you signed up for YouTube Premium through the YouTube app on an iPhone or iPad, Apple handles the billing, not Google. You have to cancel through Apple's settings, not through YouTube or Google.
On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app, tap your name at the top, then select "Subscriptions." Find YouTube Premium in the list and tap it. A button labeled "Cancel Subscription" appears — tap it and confirm. You will see a message asking why you are canceling; you can skip that or answer it. After you confirm, the cancellation is complete, and you keep access until your next billing date.
If you cannot find YouTube Premium in your Subscriptions list, it may be under a different name or you may have already canceled it. You can also manage this through a web browser: go to appleid.apple.com, sign in, click "Subscriptions," find YouTube Premium, and click "Edit" to cancel from there.
Cancel a subscription bought through Google Play Store
If you subscribed to YouTube Premium through the YouTube app on an Android phone or tablet, Google Play Store handles the billing. You cancel through the Play Store app or website, not through YouTube itself.
On your Android phone, open the Google Play Store app, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, and select "Manage subscriptions." Find YouTube Premium and tap it. A button labeled "Cancel subscription" appears — tap it and follow the prompts to confirm. You keep access until your billing cycle ends.
You can also cancel on a computer: go to play.google.com/store, sign in, click your profile icon, select "Manage subscriptions," find YouTube Premium, and click "Cancel subscription." The result is the same either way.
What happens after you cancel
After you cancel, YouTube Premium stops charging you, but you do not lose access when ready. You can still watch without ads, read videos, and use background play until the last day of your current billing cycle. On the day after that cycle ends, your account becomes a free YouTube account again, and ads return.
Your watch history, playlists, and subscriptions do not disappear. Everything you saved stays in your account. If you change your mind and want Premium back before your access ends, you can resubscribe at any time through the same method you used to cancel, and you will be charged starting on your next billing date.
If you cannot find the cancel button
The most common reason the cancel button does not appear is that you are signed into the wrong Google account. If you have multiple Google accounts, make sure you are signed into the one that actually pays for YouTube Premium. Check your email inbox for a receipt from Google or Apple to confirm which account is being charged.
Another reason is that you subscribed through a family plan rather than as an individual. If someone else in your household set up a Google Family plan that includes YouTube Premium, you cannot cancel it yourself — only the person who created the family plan can cancel it. That person can remove you from the plan, which stops charging you, but they have to do it through their own account settings.
If you subscribed through a third-party service like a mobile carrier or a bundle, the cancel button may not appear in your Google Account settings. In that case, you need to cancel through the service you subscribed with. Check your receipt to see which company is billing you, then contact them directly to cancel.
Canceling a family plan or shared subscription
YouTube Premium Family plans let up to six people share one subscription. If you are the person who created the family plan, you can cancel it entirely through your Google Account settings using the same steps as an individual subscription — go to myaccount.google.com, find YouTube Premium, and click "Cancel subscription." This cancels Premium for everyone on the plan.
If you are a member of someone else's family plan and want to stop using it, you cannot cancel the plan yourself. You have to ask the person who created it to remove you from the plan. They can do this by going to their Google Account settings, finding the family plan, and removing your name from the member list. Once you are removed, you stop being charged, but the plan continues for the other members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my YouTube data if I cancel YouTube Premium?
No. Your watch history, playlists, subscriptions, and all saved content stay in your account. Canceling Premium only removes the paid features like ad-free viewing and background play. Your account itself does not disappear.
Can I get a refund if I just paid for YouTube Premium?
YouTube does not issue refunds for partial months. If you cancel mid-cycle, you keep access until the end of that billing period, but you do not get money back for the unused time. If you were charged twice by mistake or believe there was an error, contact Google Support through your account settings to request a review.
What if I subscribed through YouTube's website but cannot find the cancel button?
Make sure you are signed into the correct Google account at myaccount.google.com. If you subscribed through a mobile app instead of the website, you may need to cancel through that app's store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) rather than through Google Account settings.
Do I have to cancel before my next billing date?
No. You can cancel at any time, even on the last day of your billing cycle. YouTube will not charge you again after you cancel, regardless of when in the cycle you do it. You keep access through the end of the current period.
Can I pause YouTube Premium instead of canceling it?
YouTube does not have a pause feature. You either keep the subscription active and get charged, or you cancel it. If you want to use Premium again later, you can resubscribe at any time, and you will be charged starting on the day you resubscribe.