How to Cancel YouTube Premium
The fastest correct way to cancel YouTube Premium is to visit youtube.com/paid_memberships, open your Premium membership, and choose the option to deactivate or cancel it. You can also use the YouTube app. The key caveat is that you must cancel through the service that handles your billing, such as Apple or Google Play.
Cancelling YouTube Premium stops the membership from renewing and removes ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music Premium when your paid period ends. The most important detail is where you subscribed: direct subscribers use YouTube's membership settings, while Apple, Google Play, and other providers manage their own subscriptions. Your YouTube account, channel, and uploaded videos remain separate from the membership. You keep Premium benefits through the end of the period you already paid for.
Before you start
- Know whether you subscribed directly through YouTube or through Apple, Google Play, Amazon, Roku, a carrier, a cable provider, or another billing partner.
- Sign in to the YouTube account that owns the Premium membership, and have the receipt or billing email available.
- Check any remaining paid-feature credits and save material you need, because you should not expect cancellation to create a refund.
- If you subscribe through another provider, gather that provider's account details because it controls the billing relationship.
How to Cancel YouTube Premium
Identify your billing source
Check your receipt, YouTube purchase email, or the membership details for the company charging you. A charge from Apple or Google means you must cancel in that store. A charge from another provider means that provider controls the subscription.
Cancel on the YouTube website
Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships while signed in to the correct account. Open Premium, select Manage membership, and choose the deactivate or cancel option. Review the end date shown, confirm the request, and save the confirmation.
Cancel in the YouTube app
Open YouTube and select your profile picture. Go to Purchases and memberships, then Premium and Manage membership. Select Deactivate or Cancel, review the renewal information, and confirm the cancellation.
Cancel through Apple
If you subscribed through the iPhone App Store, open the iPhone Settings app and select Subscriptions. Find YouTube Premium and choose Cancel Subscription, then confirm with Apple. The cancellation applies to the Apple billing account used for the purchase.
Cancel through Google Play
If you subscribed through Google Play, open the Google Play app and select Subscriptions. Find YouTube Premium, open its subscription details, and choose Cancel or Unsubscribe. Confirm through Google Play and check for its cancellation confirmation.
Cancel through another provider
If your receipt shows Amazon, Roku, a carrier, a cable provider, or another reseller, sign in to that company's subscription-management page. Find YouTube Premium and follow its cancel or unsubscribe instructions, or contact the provider if no self-service button appears. Keep the provider's confirmation because YouTube may not control that billing relationship.
Verify the cancellation
Return to YouTube's paid-memberships page or the store that handled the charge. Look for an updated membership status, a plan-ends date, or a message saying the subscription is cancelled. A confirmation email is another reliable sign that the request went through.
Pause instead of cancelling
Open the Premium membership management page and look for the pause option. Select Pause and choose a period of up to six months if available. This preserves your membership temporarily instead of cancelling it outright.
Check for YouTube TV separately
YouTube Premium covers ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music Premium; it is not YouTube TV. If you also pay for live TV, cancel that subscription separately. Use the instructions provided by whichever service bills your YouTube TV package.
Tips & shortcuts
- Look for both a cancellation confirmation and an end date. The end date tells you when ad-free viewing and YouTube Music Premium will stop.
- If you only need a short break, use the pause option for up to six months instead of cancelling.
- Cancelling the membership does not delete your YouTube account, channel, history, or uploaded videos. Do not delete your account unless you also want to close it and lose access to those services.
- Save important downloads or files before your membership ends, and do not assume remaining paid-feature time will be converted into a refund.
- After cancelling, check your next statement. If a renewal still appears, contact the company shown on the charge rather than paying it while investigating.
Troubleshooting
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Frequently asked questions
Will I still be charged after cancelling?
You should not be charged again after the paid period shown on your confirmation ends. If another renewal appears, review your receipts and contact the billing company.
Will I get a refund?
A refund is not guaranteed, and the available process depends on where you subscribed. Check YouTube's terms or your store or provider's refund policy before requesting one.
Do I keep access until the period ends?
Yes. Your Premium benefits normally continue through the end of the paid period, and YouTube Music Premium ends at the same time.
Can I pause instead of cancelling?
Yes. YouTube Premium offers a pause option for up to six months. Use it through the Premium membership management page if you expect to return before the full pause period ends.
How do I know the cancellation worked?
Look for a confirmation email, a cancelled status, or a plan-ends date. Check the same YouTube account or billing store where you submitted the request.
Does cancelling delete my account?
No. Cancelling the Premium membership does not delete your YouTube account, channel, or uploaded videos.
What if I subscribed through Apple or Google?
Cancel through the relevant store: iPhone Settings > Subscriptions for Apple, or Google Play > Subscriptions for Google Play. YouTube's membership page will reflect the resulting status.
Does cancellation happen immediately?
Usually not. The benefits continue until the end of your current paid period, so the membership does not necessarily end the moment you click cancel.