If you own an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, there's a good chance Apple is billing you for at least one subscription — and possibly several you've forgotten about.
Between Apple Music, iCloud+, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple One bundles, and third-party apps you signed up for through the App Store, it's easy for Apple subscriptions to quietly accumulate. Apple makes signing up effortless, but finding and cancelling subscriptions takes a few more steps.
This guide covers how to cancel every type of Apple subscription, on every device, and what to watch out for along the way.
What counts as an Apple subscription?
Apple bills two types of subscription through your Apple ID:
- Apple's own services — Apple Music, iCloud+, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and Apple One
- Third-party app subscriptions — any app you subscribed to through the App Store (e.g. Spotify, Headspace, Strava, dating apps, productivity tools)
Both are managed in the same place: your Apple ID subscription settings. If you don't see a subscription there, it means you signed up directly with the company — not through Apple.
How to cancel Apple subscriptions on iPhone or iPad
This is the method most people in the UK will use.
- Open Settings
- Tap your name at the top of the screen
- Tap Subscriptions
- You'll see a list of all active and expired subscriptions
- Tap the subscription you want to cancel
- Tap Cancel Subscription (or Cancel Free Trial)
- Confirm
The subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period. You won't be charged again after that.
On older iOS versions, Subscriptions may be under Settings > iTunes & App Store > Apple ID > View Apple ID > Subscriptions. On iOS 16 and later, it's directly under your name in Settings.
How to cancel Apple subscriptions on Mac
- Open the App Store
- Click your name or profile icon in the bottom-left corner
- Click Account Settings
- Scroll down to Subscriptions and click Manage
- Click Edit next to the subscription
- Click Cancel Subscription
Alternatively, on macOS Ventura and later: open System Settings, click your name, then click Subscriptions.
How to cancel Apple subscriptions on the web
You can manage subscriptions from any browser — useful if you don't have your Apple device to hand.
- Go to reportaproblem.apple.com
- Sign in with your Apple ID
- Find the subscription and manage it from there
Or go directly to apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions to see and cancel all active subscriptions.
How to cancel Apple Music
Apple Music is Apple's most popular subscription in the UK. Current pricing:
- Individual: £10.99/month
- Family (up to 6): £16.99/month
- Student: £5.99/month
Cancel using any of the methods above (Settings > Subscriptions is fastest on iPhone). After cancellation:
- You keep access until the end of the billing period
- Downloaded music becomes unavailable
- Your library and playlists are preserved — they'll return if you resubscribe
How to cancel iCloud+
iCloud+ provides extra storage beyond the free 5GB, plus features like Private Relay, Hide My Email, and custom email domains. UK pricing:
- 50GB: £0.99/month
- 200GB: £2.99/month
- 2TB: £8.99/month
- 6TB: £29.99/month
- 12TB: £59.99/month
Cancel via Settings > your name > Subscriptions, or Settings > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Change Storage Plan > Downgrade Options.
If you're using more than 5GB of iCloud storage, cancelling iCloud+ means your device backups will stop, new photos won't sync, and you won't be able to save new files to iCloud Drive. Apple won't immediately delete anything, but over time data beyond the free 5GB limit may be removed. Download anything important before you cancel.
How to cancel Apple TV+
Apple TV+ costs £8.99/month in the UK. It's also included in Apple One bundles and often comes as a free trial with new Apple devices.
Cancel via Settings > Subscriptions. If you received a free trial with a new device, it will auto-renew at full price unless you cancel before the trial ends.
How to cancel Apple One
Apple One bundles multiple services at a discount. UK pricing:
- Individual (Music, TV+, Arcade, 50GB iCloud+): £18.95/month
- Family (Music, TV+, Arcade, 200GB iCloud+, up to 6 people): £24.95/month
- Premier (everything above plus News+, Fitness+, 2TB iCloud+): £34.95/month
Cancel via Settings > Subscriptions > Apple One > Cancel All Services. When you cancel, you lose access to all bundled services. Apple will show you what you can resubscribe to individually if you only want some of them.
How to cancel third-party App Store subscriptions
If you subscribed to a third-party app through the App Store (dating apps, fitness trackers, photo editors, games, etc.), Apple handles the billing — not the app developer.
This means:
- You cancel through Apple's subscription settings, not inside the app
- Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription
- The app developer cannot cancel it for you
Go to Settings > your name > Subscriptions, find the app, and tap Cancel Subscription.
This catches a lot of people. If you delete an app from your iPhone but don't cancel the subscription in Settings, Apple will keep charging you. Always check Settings > Subscriptions, even for apps you no longer have installed.
How to cancel Apple free trials
Apple offers free trials for most of its services (typically 1 month, sometimes 3 months with a new device). Third-party apps also frequently offer free trials through the App Store.
The safest approach:
- Sign up for the trial
- Cancel immediately in Settings > Subscriptions
- You still get the full trial period
- You won't be charged when it expires
Apple explicitly allows this — cancelling a free trial doesn't end it early.
How to see everything Apple is charging you for
To review all your active Apple subscriptions in one place:
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Tap your name
- Tap Subscriptions
This shows every active subscription, its price, renewal date, and billing frequency. You'll also see expired subscriptions below — useful for spotting services you thought you'd cancelled but didn't.
For a full purchase history including one-off payments:
- Go to Settings > your name > Media & Purchases
- Tap View Account
- Tap Purchase History
How to get a refund from Apple
Apple considers refund requests individually. Common reasons that succeed:
- A free trial converted to a paid subscription you didn't intend to keep
- A child made a purchase without your knowledge
- The app or service didn't work as described
- You were charged twice
To request a refund:
- Go to reportaproblem.apple.com
- Sign in with your Apple ID
- Find the charge in your recent purchases
- Tap or click Report a Problem
- Select Request a refund
- Choose a reason and submit
Refunds are usually processed within 48 hours, back to your original payment method.
Family Sharing: who can cancel what?
If you're part of a Family Sharing group:
- The family organiser pays for shared subscriptions (Apple One, Apple Music Family, shared iCloud+ storage)
- Only the family organiser can cancel shared subscriptions
- Individual members can cancel their own personal subscriptions and third-party app subscriptions
- If you're a family member and want to stop using a shared service, ask the organiser — or leave the Family Sharing group
Quick FAQ
How do I cancel subscriptions on my iPhone?
Settings > your name > Subscriptions. Tap the subscription you want to cancel, then tap Cancel Subscription.
Why can't I find a subscription to cancel?
If a subscription doesn't appear in your Apple settings, it's not billed through Apple. You signed up directly with the company — cancel through their website or app instead. This commonly applies to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Spotify (if signed up directly).
Does deleting an app cancel the subscription?
No. Deleting an app from your device does not cancel its subscription. You must cancel through Settings > Subscriptions, or Apple will continue billing you.
Can I cancel an Apple subscription and still use it?
Yes. When you cancel, the subscription stays active until the end of the current billing period. After that, access stops — but your data (playlists, files, etc.) is generally preserved if you resubscribe.
How do I stop Apple charging me for apps I don't use?
Go through Settings > Subscriptions and review every active entry. Cancel anything you no longer use. Also check expired subscriptions — these may restart if you reinstall the app and don't pay attention.
Apple's subscription settings show you what's active right now — but they don't remind you before renewals happen. By the time you check, you've already been charged.
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Final thoughts
Apple makes subscribing effortless — which is exactly why so many people end up paying for services they've forgotten about. A free trial here, an app subscription there, and suddenly you're spending £30+ per month without realising it.
The fix is simple: check Settings > Subscriptions regularly, and cancel anything you're not actively using. It takes two minutes and could save you hundreds a year.
If you'd rather not rely on remembering to check manually, a subscription tracker with renewal reminders takes the thinking out of it entirely.