Calling all iPhone users. After so many upgrades over years of using an iPhone, I thought I knew it all. Only recently, I discovered a feature that’s been there all along but I’d never noticed—much less thought about. It took about 5 minutes for me to change that and— ta-da!—save a lot of money. I bet we can put some moolah back into your pocket, too.

 

Subscriptions

These days nearly everything out there that’s any good requires some kind of subscription, from television to newspapers, music to games and on it goes. Can you account for the subscriptions you’re paying for and use regularly? See what I mean? It’s easy to lose track.

Huh? What?!

I’m going to wager that you, like me, are paying for subscriptions you’ve totally forgotten but are auto-renewing every month, quarter, or annually. You may not have even realized you agreed to that auto-renew.

Sure, it shows up on your bank or credit card statement. But staying on top of them means you must routinely go thru every item every accounting period to verify what it is and why you’re still paying for it.

So Easy a 5-Year-Old …

Sure, a simple $.99 charge doesn’t seem like much, so why bother digging through files you can’t find to try to figure out a mystery you can’t solve?

It could be (and I only know this from experience) that your 5-year old grandson somehow, even though he can’t tie his shoes, knows how to use an iPhone and where to find a fun game to play while sitting quietly in his carseat. He clicks on an “in-app purchase” and then magically reads “Subscribe,”  “Upload,” and “Play” because he also knows how to access grandma’s Apple ID. Yep.

Zap Unwanted Subscriptions

But let’s not go blaming others for every infraction. You may have legitimately signed up for iTunes, Apple Music, or any number of paid subscriptions that you don’t recall and wouldn’t know where to find if you could.

It may have been the 7-Day Trial Offer that got you because you totally forgot to cancel 24 hours before the end of the trial period.

In these days of top-notch streaming services and endless in-app purchases, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger when you end up with a bunch of mysterious monthly or annual billing charges. Keeping track of all of them can be overwhelming.

Well, hang onto your data plan ‘cuz that’s exactly what we’re about the figure out. It’s time to zap unwanted subscriptions.

 

How to Cancel a Subscription on Your iPhone

Step 1: Open Settings

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Tap on Apple ID at the Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Tap Subscriptions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Tap a Subscription

In my case here, I clicked on MuseScore: sheet music. That opens another screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Tap Cancel Subscription

You might need to scroll down to find the Cancel Subscription button. If there is no Cancel button or you see an expiration message in red text, the subscription is already canceled.

In the case of a subscription, you have already paid for (see MuseScore: sheet music in the image below), canceling the subscription will actually cancel the automatic renewal. With MuseScore, I intentionally paid for a one-year subscription. I was not aware I had also agreed to auto-renew at the end of the subscription period. You can see that I immediately canceled that subscription’s auto-renew. My [non-refundable] initial subscription is still in effect, and trust me, I use it endlessly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cancel a Subscription on your Mac

If you can’t find the subscription that you want to cancel on your iPhone, don’t fret. Follow these steps:

On your Mac:

1. 1. Open the App Store app.
   2. Click your name. If you can’t find your name, click Sign In.
   3. Click Account Settings.
   4. Scroll to Subscriptions, then click Manage.
   5. Next to the subscription, click Edit.
   6. Click Cancel Subscription. If there is no Cancel or Cancel Subscription button, the subscription is already canceled.

 

 

Cancel a Subscription on Your Windows PC

 

On your PC:

1. 1. On your PC, open iTunes. If you don’t have iTunes, learn how to download iTunes for Windows.
   2. From the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window, choose Account, then choose View My Account.
   3. Scroll to the Settings section. Next to Subscriptions, click Manage.
   4. Find the subscription that you want to cancel, then click Edit.
   5. Click Cancel Subscription. If there is no Cancel or Cancel Subscription button, the subscription is already canceled.

 

That should do it. And if you are still having difficulty canceling a subscription, don’t throw in the towel. Instead, contact Apple support.

 

—###—

 

---

 

 

 

More from Everyday Cheapskate

Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines

Caught yourself reading all the way 'til the end? Why not share with a friend.