How to turn off auto-renew on any subscription

Short answer

Cancel where you bought it: Apple subscriptions in Settings, Google Play subscriptions in Google Play, direct subscriptions in the provider’s own account, and anything bundled with your phone, internet or TV bill with that company. Deleting the app cancels nothing — Google, Netflix and Paramount+ say so directly. Do it at least a day before the billing date.

Why the place you bought it matters

The same Netflix can be bought in several places: on netflix.com, through the App Store or Google Play, or on your bill from Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon and other partners. Each has its own cancel button, and the provider can’t cancel a subscription that someone else bills. Peacock says it plainly: if Apple, Google, Roku or Amazon bills you, Peacock doesn’t have the ability to cancel your plan.

So the first question is always: who sends the bill? Your card statement shows it — Apple, Google, the provider itself, Amazon or your carrier.

Where to cancel, by channel

• iPhone and iPad: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → the subscription → Cancel Subscription. Apple notes you may need to scroll; if there’s no Cancel button or you see an expiration message in red, it’s already canceled.
• Mac, Windows and Android: the same Apple subscription can be canceled from your Apple Account on the web or in the Apple apps.
• Google Play: play.google.com → Subscriptions → Manage → Cancel subscription → pick a reason. Google reminds you that subscriptions run for an indefinite term and you’re charged at the start of each billing cycle until you unsubscribe.
• The provider’s own account: Netflix — Manage your membership → Cancel → Finish Cancellation. Peacock — Account → Subscriptions → Cancel All Subscriptions. Paramount+ — your username → Account → Cancel subscription. Amazon Prime — Manage Prime Membership. Prime Video only — Account & Settings → End Subscription.
• Channels and partners: Paramount+ bought through Prime Video Channels or Apple TV Channels is canceled there; Netflix on a Comcast, Spectrum, T-Mobile or Verizon bill is canceled with that company; Paramount+ included with Walmart+ is managed through Walmart.

Five mistakes providers warn about

1. Deleting the app. Google: when you uninstall an app, your subscription won’t cancel. Netflix: signing out or deleting the app doesn’t cancel your account. Paramount+: uninstalling on Android TV doesn’t cancel.
2. Canceling the main plan and forgetting the add-ons. Amazon says channel subscriptions such as Paramount+ continue after your Prime membership ends. (Peacock is the opposite: canceling the base plan also cancels its add-ons.)
3. Trying to cancel someone else’s subscription. Apple: you can’t cancel a family member’s subscription — the Apple Account on the receipt has to.
4. Letting a trial roll over. Apple, Nintendo and the Amazon Prime trial all convert to paid automatically; Apple asks you to cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends.
5. Turning off a guarantee by accident. Norton’s Virus Protection Promise and Avast’s Stay Safe guarantee only apply while automatic renewal is on — know what you give up.

How early to cancel

• At least 24 hours before: Apple trials and subscriptions, Prime Video Ultra billed through Apple, Duolingo trials.
• Before the term ends: Peacock’s plan simply won’t renew at the end of the current term; Paramount+ billing dates can’t be changed.
• Before a yearly renewal: Zwift and Headspace annual plans renew automatically each year; Midjourney renews monthly or yearly unless you set the plan to cancel.

Reminders help: YouTube reminds you 7 days before a trial ends, and Strava and Duolingo send trial reminders too.

What to check before you cancel

• Do you lose something tied to it? Canceling YouTube TV ends NFL Sunday Ticket; canceling Walmart+ ends the Paramount+ benefit.
• Is there a refund? Amazon gives a full refund of the current Prime period if you haven’t used the benefits. Peacock gives no refunds or credits unless required by law; YouTube TV gives no refunds on its intro offer. Google Play refunds past subscriptions only in some cases, and the app developer handles most refund requests.
• Is a downgrade enough? Many services have a cheaper plan with ads — Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock and Paramount+ all do.

When the cancel button isn’t there

If you can’t find a cancel option, the subscription was probably bought somewhere else. Apple suggests searching your email for “receipt from Apple” or “invoice from Apple” and checking which Apple Account was used. Peacock shows how you’re billed under Payment Method on the Subscriptions tab. If your carrier or bank shows up as the biller, cancel with them.

What this guide doesn’t promise

We don’t promise refunds — they depend on the provider and where you bought the subscription, and most keep the subscription running until the end of the paid period. We also don’t describe every button: they change, and the provider’s own help page is always more current than this one. The facts were checked from the US on October 12–13, 2026.