How to cancel subscriptions on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV

Subscriptions have truly made life easier in many ways. My family gets our meal kits delivered every week, our Apple Music subscription renewed at the same time every month, and essentials like phone bills and internet charges automatically made on our credit cards like clockwork. The problem is that without keeping track of them all, it’s often that we’ve had to go through the cancellation process after being charged for things we don’t need anymore.

If you’ve experienced the stress of unexpected charges, I’m here to show you how to manage subscriptions on iPhones and other Apple devices so you can take control of these recurring purchases.

How to find Apple subscriptions

While Apple doesn't offer a feature to track all of your external subscriptions, it does allow you to easily view all of your Apple-related ones (such as app subscriptions, Apple Music, iCloud storage, etc.). For example, if you've subscribed to a photo editing app, a productivity tool, or any service through the App Store, you can check them in your device settings.

Here's how to find subscriptions on iPhone:

1. Go to the Settings App.
2. Tap Apple ID.
3. Tap Subscriptions.

From there, you can tap any of your subscriptions to manage them, whether you want to renew one or view other available plans to switch things up.

Manage Apple subscriptions on Mac

Managing Apple subscriptions on a Mac is similar. To do so:

1. Click the Apple icon > System Settings.
2. Click Apple ID.



3. Click Media & Purchases.



4. Next to Subscriptions, click Manage

After clicking Manage, an App Store window will pop up, showing you all your subscriptions. There, you can manage your subscriptions just like on an iPhone. I personally like that this rundown exists, as it shows me the dates of my subscription renewals, so I never miss a beat. The only problem with it is that I have to click on every app listed to see how much each subscription costs and that it only accommodates Apple apps. 

Expenses makes it easy for me to track all my expenses on different sheets so I can separate my subscriptions from my other personal expenses. I can add a subscription and choose how often it reoccurs (daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, yearly, etc.), and it’ll show me how much my subscriptions total to at the very top.

How to cancel subscriptions on iPhone/iPad

When you’re switching platforms or find that you aren’t using a service as much as you’d like, you’ll want to know how to cancel an app subscription. 

Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Apple ID > Subscriptions.
3. Choose the subscription you want to cancel.



4. Tap Cancel Subscription or Cancel Free Trial.



5. Tap Confirm.

Need to manage your Apple subscriptions as well as other recurring payments? Even though these subscriptions might be on autopay, it’s worth knowing exactly when these payments will come out of your account and how much to keep a better cash flow.

Chronicle can seamlessly manage this aspect of your personal finances, as it’ll show you what’s overdue, what’s due soon, and what’s coming up, so you know exactly what to do with your budget. The app is available on iOS and macOS, with cloud synchronization so you can monitor your subscriptions on the go or on a larger interface at home. What’s more, the app automatically categorizes your bills — start typing something like Netflix, and it’ll instantly recognize it as a TV subscription.

How to restart a canceled subscription on an iPhone, iPad

You now know how to cancel an app subscription, but what happens if you want to restart that canceled subscription again? Perhaps you’ve had a change of heart or realized you need to use that app more than you thought. Well, fear not. This is how you restart a subscription on an iPhone or iPad:

1. Go to the Settings app.
2. Tap Apple ID > Subscriptions.
3. Under INACTIVE, tap any of your inactive subscriptions.



4. Tap Renew or See All Plans to pick the subscription plan.

How to stop Apple subscriptions on Mac

Despite knowing how to stop a subscription on iPhone, things on Mac are a little different. Let’s go through the steps to cancel a subscription on Mac together:

1. Click the Apple icon > System Settings.
2. Click Apple ID >Media & Purchases.
3. Under Subscriptions, click Manage.
4. Click on the subscription you want to cancel.
5. Click Cancel Subscription (or Free Trial).

MoneyWiz 2024 can be used to holistically manage every aspect of your finances, including breaking down your accounts, showing how much you’re spending using different accounts and cards, and even monitoring your investments. With the app, you can literally become a whiz with your money.

How to cancel Apple TV subscription

Apple TV has really stepped up its game lately. It’s given subscribers access to a variety of original movies and TV shows, exclusive sports games, and more to elevate it past a mirroring app. If you’re subscribed to multiple entertainment channels in addition to Apple TV, however, you might occasionally cancel it if you aren’t currently using it as much as you’d like. If you’re in this boat and want to cancel your Apple TV subscription:

1. Go to the Apple TV app on any device.
2. Click Apple ID.
3. Under Subscriptions, click Manage.
4. Click on your Apple TV subscription > Cancel Subscription.

Troubleshooting subscription issues

While managing your Apple subscriptions is a pretty easy process, things don’t always go as smoothly as we’d like. If you’re coming across an issue with your subscriptions, here are some ways you can troubleshoot:

• Make sure you’ve signed in with the correct Apple ID.
• Update your payment information so you don’t experience any hitches in billing.
• Check out any new subscription terms to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
• Clear the cache for certain apps.
• Delete and reinstall apps if subscription statuses don’t seem up to date.

If you’ve tried all these solutions (and potentially more) and nothing seems to do the trick, you’ll want to reach out to Apple Support or the app developers.

Solved: How to find subscriptions on iPhone and manage them successfully

As I’ve mentioned, subscriptions can be a blessing but a curse in disguise (that’s how the saying goes, right?). While we get to enjoy the convenience and potential cost savings that they come with, that out of sight, out of mind approach can end up being a downfall. By understanding how to end a subscription on iPhone and managing them properly with third-party money management apps like MoneyWiz, GreenBooks, Chronicle, and Expenses, you’ll never face the hassle of murky finances again.

All the apps mentioned in this article and 250+ more are available through a 7-day free trial of Setapp — a service that’ll give you access to a wealth of useful apps under just one subscription, limiting the number of subscriptions you’ll need to track.

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