How to Cancel Your
YouTube Premium Subscription
Cancel YouTube Premium in under 2 minutes. Here are the exact steps, whether you signed up on the web, through Google Play, or via Apple.
Quick Overview
Difficulty
EasyTime
~2 minutes
Method
Web / App
Refund
Not guaranteed
Cancel YouTube Premium on the Web
Go to your Paid Memberships page
Open your browser and go to youtube.com/paid_memberships. Make sure you are signed into the correct Google account that holds the YouTube Premium subscription.
Click Deactivate
Find your YouTube Premium membership on the page. Click the Deactivate button next to it. YouTube will show you a summary of the benefits you will lose.
Click Continue to Cancel
After reviewing what you will lose (ad-free videos, background play, offline downloads, YouTube Music Premium), click Continue to cancel to proceed.
Select a reason and confirm
Select a reason for canceling from the list, then click Next. Finally, click Yes, cancel to confirm. You will receive a confirmation email from YouTube.
Alternate method via YouTube.com
You can also cancel by going to YouTube.com, clicking your profile icon in the top right, selecting Purchases and memberships, then clicking Manage membership. From there, click Deactivate and follow the same cancellation flow above.
Subscribed Through Apple or Google Play?
You must cancel on the same platform where you originally subscribed. If you signed up through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, canceling directly on YouTube will not work.
Cancel via iPhone / iPad
- 1. Open the YouTube app
- 2. Tap your profile picture (top right)
- 3. Tap Paid memberships
- 4. Tap Manage Apple Subscriptions
- 5. Find YouTube Premium and tap Cancel
This redirects you to Apple's subscription settings. You can also go directly to Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions on your iPhone.
Cancel via Android
- 1. Open the YouTube app
- 2. Tap your profile picture (top right)
- 3. Tap Paid memberships
- 4. Tap the membership you want to cancel
- 5. Tap Continue to cancel and confirm
If you subscribed through the Google Play Store, you may be redirected to Play Store > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions.
Watch Out For These Gotchas
Cancel on the same platform you subscribed
If you subscribed through Apple, you must cancel through Apple Settings. If you subscribed through Google Play, cancel through the Play Store. Canceling on YouTube's website only works if you signed up directly through YouTube.
Family plan manager canceling affects everyone
If you are the manager of a YouTube Premium Family plan and you cancel, all family members will lose their Premium benefits at the end of the billing period. There is no way to transfer the manager role.
Make sure you're signed into the right Google account
If you have multiple Google accounts, your Premium subscription may be tied to a different account than the one you are currently signed into. Check the account email in the top-right corner of YouTube before trying to cancel.
What Happens After You Cancel YouTube Premium?
You keep benefits until your billing period ends
YouTube does not cut off access immediately. You can continue using all Premium features until the end of the current billing cycle you already paid for.
You lose ad-free viewing, background play, and offline downloads
Once your billing period ends, ads will return on YouTube videos, background playback will stop working, and any downloaded videos will become unavailable.
YouTube Music Premium is also canceled
YouTube Music Premium is bundled with YouTube Premium. When you cancel, you also lose ad-free music streaming, background play in the Music app, and offline music downloads.
You will receive a confirmation email
YouTube sends a confirmation email to the Google account email address associated with your subscription. This email confirms the cancellation date and when your access will end.
Refunds are not guaranteed
YouTube does not automatically issue refunds. You can try contacting YouTube support through the Help Center chat, but refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed.
Need Help? Contact YouTube Support
Chat Support
Available through the YouTube Help Center. Go to support.google.com/youtube and click the chat icon to connect with a support agent.
Phone Support
YouTube does not offer phone support for Premium subscription issues. Use the chat option in the Help Center for the fastest response.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose YouTube Music too?
Yes. YouTube Music Premium is included with your YouTube Premium subscription at no extra cost. When you cancel YouTube Premium, you also lose all YouTube Music Premium benefits including ad-free listening, background playback, and offline downloads in the Music app.
Can I cancel YouTube Premium on iPhone?
If you subscribed through Apple (via the App Store), you must cancel through your iPhone's Settings. Go to Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions and find YouTube Premium in the list. The YouTube app itself will redirect you to Apple's subscription management if you try to cancel from within the app.
What about my family plan?
If you are the family plan manager, canceling your subscription means all family group members will lose YouTube Premium access at the end of the billing period. Individual family members cannot cancel the plan or remove themselves from it independently.
How do I know which platform I subscribed through?
Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships and look at your membership details. It will indicate whether you subscribed through YouTube directly, Google Play, or Apple. You can also check your bank statement to see whether the charge comes from Google or Apple.
Can I get a refund after canceling?
YouTube does not guarantee refunds, but you can try reaching out through the YouTube Help Center chat. Refund eligibility depends on your situation and is reviewed case by case. If you subscribed through Apple or Google Play, you would need to request a refund through those platforms instead.
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