Have you been watching Apple TV+ shows as part of a free trial? Have you failed to find anything that really captivates you? Or is it time to cancel a subscription to yet another service you don’t need as much as the food on your table? Here’s what to do.
How to cancel Apple TV+ following free trial
When Apple TV+ launched on 1 November 2019, Apple offered two free trials: one week free, or, for some, a whole year for free.
Everyone has the opportunity to watch a week’s worth of TV+ shows for free. When you open the TV app on your Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple TV you will see the option to start the trial. It’s a great way to see what’s on offer. Here’s a run through of what’s on Apple TV+.
However, once the week is up your subscription will automatically start unless you cancel it.
Apple states that: “If you signed up for a free or discounted trial subscription and you don’t want to renew it, cancel it at least 24 hours before the trial ends.”
Note: When we initially started watching Apple TV+ on 1 November we were surprised that no subscription details appeared in our account. However, a few weeks later when we attempted to watch again we found the date the subscription would start was a week on from that date, so it seems we had managed to get a show for free before our trial actually started. We can’t confirm whether you will be as lucky!
Some people can access a whole year of Apple TV+ for free, so it will be a long time before they need to consider whether to stop their subscription. Read about how to get Apple TV+ for free here.
On iPhone/iPad
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on the section at the top with your name.
- Tap on iTunes & App Store.
- Tap on your Apple ID at the top.
- Choose View Apple ID.
- Scroll down to Subscriptions. Tap on it.
- Now tap on any subscription you wish to cancel (in this case Apple TV+).
- On the next page tap on Cancel Subscription.
If you don’t see the subscription it will probably be due to you being in a trial period. Try again tomorrow.
On Apple TV
- Open Settings on your Apple TV.
- Select Users & Accounts.
- Click Subscriptions.
- Select Apple TV+.
- Click Cancel Subscription.
On Mac
- Open the App Store.
- Click on your Apple ID (bottom left)
- Click on View Information.
- Sign in if required.
- Scroll down to the Manage section (where you will see your Nickname). Click on the Manage link.
- Find Apple TV+ and click Edit beside it.
- Click Cancel Subscription.
How to cancel subscription to Apple TV+
If you have been paying for an Apple TV+ subscription but later decide that you want to cancel, you can follow the same steps above. However, we suggest you keep the following information in mind:
Your contract will be set to renew on a certain day every month. Normally if you cancel your subscription, such as for Apple Music, you will continue to be able to access the service until the subscription period ends. However, with Apple TV+ when you cancel your subscription access to Apple TV+ will end immediately. With that in mind we suggest you cancel as close to your renewal date as possible.
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.