Cancel a free trial in Settings before the trial ends
Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, then select Subscriptions. You will see a list of active subscriptions and free trials. Tap the trial you want to cancel, then tap Cancel Subscription or Cancel Free Trial. Confirm the cancellation when prompted. You will keep access until the trial period ends, but you will not be charged when it converts to a paid subscription.
The exact wording changes depending on whether you are cancelling during the trial or after it has already converted to a paid plan. If you see Cancel Subscription, you are cancelling a plan you are already paying for. If you see Cancel Free Trial, the trial has not yet converted. Either way, the process stops the charge.
Check the trial end date before you cancel. Apple shows you the exact day the free period ends and when billing would start. If you cancel before that date, you lose access when ready — the trial does not extend to the original end date. If you want to keep using the service until the trial actually expires, wait to cancel until the last day.
Key Takeaways
- Free trials on iPhone are managed through Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions, not through the app itself.
- Cancelling a free trial stops the charge but ends your access when ready, not on the trial end date.
- You can cancel any time during the trial period — there is no penalty for cancelling early.
- If you forget to cancel and are charged, you can request a refund from Apple within 30 days of the charge.
- Some apps let you cancel directly in the app, but the Settings method works for all subscriptions and is the most reliable.
Why free trials charge you if you don't cancel
When you start a free trial, you provide a payment method — usually your Apple ID. The app developer sets a trial period (commonly 7 or 14 days), and Apple automatically converts the subscription to a paid plan on the day the trial ends. You are not charged during the trial, but the charge happens automatically unless you cancel first.
This is not a hidden charge. When you start the trial, the app shows you the trial length and the price it will charge after. The problem is that people forget the end date or assume they cancelled when they did not. Setting a phone reminder for two days before the trial ends is a straightforward way to avoid the charge.
Cancel through the app instead if Settings doesn't show the subscription
Some apps, particularly smaller ones, do not sync their subscription information to Apple's Settings. If you start a free trial in an app but do not see it listed under Subscriptions in Settings, try cancelling directly in the app instead. Look for a Settings, Account, or Subscription option within the app itself.
Open the app, find the menu (usually three horizontal lines or a gear icon), and look for words like Manage Subscription, Billing, or Account Settings. The cancellation process varies by app, but most show a clear button to cancel or unsubscribe. If you cannot find it, check the app's help section or contact the developer.
Request a refund if you were charged without cancelling
If a free trial converted to a paid subscription and you were charged, you can request a refund from Apple. Open the App Store, tap your profile picture in the top right, select Purchases, find the app you were charged for, and tap it. Select Report a Problem, choose the charge you want to dispute, and explain that you did not intend to be charged.
Apple typically refunds charges within a few days if you request within 30 days of the charge. If you request after 30 days, the refund is less likely but still possible — it depends on Apple's review. Keep a record of the charge date and the amount in case you need to follow up.
Turn off auto-renewal to prevent future charges
If you want to keep using a subscription but do not want it to auto-renew, you can turn off auto-renewal while keeping your access until the current billing period ends. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions, tap the subscription, and toggle off Auto-Renew. Your access continues until the current period expires, then stops.
This is different from cancelling. Cancelling ends your access when ready. Turning off auto-renewal lets you finish the current billing period without being charged again. Use this if you want to keep the service for a few more weeks but do not want to pay for the next month.
Check your subscription history to see past charges
To see every subscription you have ever started on your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions and scroll to the bottom. You will see a section for subscriptions you have cancelled. Tap any cancelled subscription to see when you started it, when you cancelled it, and what you paid.
This is useful if you want to confirm a charge went through or check when a trial ended. If you see a charge you do not recognize, you can tap it and select Report a Problem to dispute it with Apple. Keep this list in mind when you are considering new free trials — if you have cancelled similar services before, you know whether you actually used them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel a free trial and still use the app?
No. When you cancel a free trial, your access ends when ready. You will not be able to use the app's paid features. If you want to keep using the service, wait to cancel until the last day of the trial period, or switch to a paid plan instead.
What happens if I cancel a free trial but the app keeps working?
Some apps take a few minutes to process the cancellation. Close the app completely and reopen it — you should see a prompt to subscribe or a limited version of the app. If you still have full access after an hour, contact the app developer. In rare cases, the cancellation did not go through and you may be charged.
Can I get a refund if I cancelled too late and was charged?
Yes. Go to the App Store, tap your profile picture, select Purchases, find the app, and tap Report a Problem. Explain that you were charged after the trial ended. Apple refunds charges within 30 days of the charge date in most cases.
Do I need to cancel each free trial separately?
Yes. Each subscription is separate, even if they are from the same company. If you have a free trial for a music app and a video app from the same developer, you must cancel each one individually in Settings > Subscriptions.
Will cancelling a free trial delete my account or data?
Cancelling the subscription does not delete your account with the app developer. Your profile and any data you created usually stays in the system. If you sign back up later, you may be able to recover your account, depending on the app's policy.