The way you cancel depends on where you subscribed. On the website, open your profile icon, go to Settings, then Account, and choose Cancel plan. If you signed up in the iPhone app, cancel in your Apple subscriptions. If you signed up through Android, cancel in Google Play.
That one question, where you subscribed, saves you most of the confusion. OpenAI can only cancel plans it bills itself. Apple and Google handle their own, which is why people press cancel in the wrong place and then get charged again.
Below you'll find a quick table to work out your route, then the exact steps for each, what changes once you've cancelled, and a note for team workspaces.
Where did you subscribe?
Think back to the first time you upgraded. Which screen were you on? Use this table to match it.
| Where you upgraded | Who manages the billing | Where you cancel |
|---|---|---|
| The ChatGPT website in a browser | OpenAI | Your account settings on the website |
| The ChatGPT app on an iPhone or iPad | Apple | iPhone Settings, under Subscriptions |
| The ChatGPT app on an Android phone | Google Play, under Subscriptions | |
| A Team or Business workspace | Your workspace owner | The workspace billing area (owner only) |
If you can't remember, check your email receipts. A receipt from Apple or Google means the store handles it. A receipt from OpenAI means the website route. You can also check the Subscriptions list in your iPhone or Google Play settings, and if ChatGPT isn't listed there, the website route is the one you need.
Cancel on the ChatGPT website
- Sign in to ChatGPT in a web browser.
- Click your profile icon (usually your initials or photo).
- Open Settings.
- Go to Account. In some versions this section is called Subscription, or you'll see a Manage my subscription button.
- Choose Manage, then Cancel plan or Cancel subscription.
- Confirm when it asks you.
You should see a message confirming the cancellation, and the plan area will usually show when your paid access ends. It's worth taking a screenshot of that, or checking for a confirmation email.
Menu names move around from time to time. If something looks different, search the settings for the word "plan" or "subscription".
Cancel if you subscribed on iPhone
When you buy through the App Store, Apple holds the subscription. Deleting the ChatGPT app or cancelling inside ChatGPT won't stop it. You do it in your Apple account settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Tap ChatGPT.
- Tap Cancel Subscription and confirm.
If you don't see ChatGPT in the list, check that you're signed in with the same Apple account you used to subscribe. Families often share a device but not an Apple account.
Cancel if you subscribed on Android
Google Play works the same way. The subscription lives in your Google account, not inside the ChatGPT app.
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap your profile picture at the top right.
- Tap Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
- Tap ChatGPT.
- Tap Cancel and follow the prompts.
Again, make sure you're looking at the right Google account. If you have two on the phone, switch accounts using the profile picture menu and check the other one.
What happens after you cancel
Cancelling doesn't switch everything off at once. You normally keep the paid features until the end of the billing period you've already covered. When that date passes, your account goes back to the free plan.
- Your chats are kept. You can still open old conversations on the free plan.
- Paid-only features stop working when the period ends, so finish any work that depends on them first.
- Deleting the app does not cancel anything, and neither does signing out.
- You can subscribe again later from the same account.
Refunds follow the store's rules or OpenAI's own policy, depending on where you paid. I can't promise one, so please check the Help Center for your route and the current terms before you ask.
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Cancelling a Team or Business workspace
If your ChatGPT access comes from a work or team workspace, you probably can't cancel it yourself. Billing for those plans sits with the workspace owner or an admin. If that's you, look for the billing area in the workspace settings. If it isn't you, ask the owner, because cancelling an individual plan won't touch the workspace.
Also check that you aren't being billed twice. Some people have a personal plan and a team seat at the same time without realising. Look at both before you decide which to keep.
How to check the cancellation worked
Don't rely on the button alone. A few minutes later, go back to the same screen and look at the plan details. On the website you should see that the plan is set to end rather than renew. In Apple and Google Play, the subscription entry should show an expiry date instead of a renewal date.
Keep the confirmation email too. If you're charged again after the end date, that email and your screenshot make a support request much quicker, because you can show exactly when you cancelled and through which route.
If the entry still shows as renewing, repeat the steps once more. Cancelling in the wrong place is the most common reason, so look at the other two routes in the table before you contact anyone.
Before you cancel: three quick checks
- Save anything you want to keep, such as custom instructions or important chats, by copying them into a document.
- Look at your free options. Our list of free AI chat tools like ChatGPT shows what you can use if you step back to a free plan.
- If you want a feel for what you'd be giving up, read my ChatGPT Images 2.0 review first.
And if you try to sign in after cancelling and the app seems broken, it may not be you. Our guide on how to check if ChatGPT is down takes about a minute.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my chats if I cancel ChatGPT?
No. Your chats are kept when you cancel, and you can still open them on the free plan. Only the paid features stop at the end of your billing period.
Does deleting the ChatGPT app cancel my subscription?
No. Deleting the app or signing out doesn't cancel anything. You need to cancel on the website, in your Apple subscriptions or in Google Play, depending on where you signed up.
Can I get a refund after I cancel?
That depends on whether you paid through OpenAI, Apple or Google, and on the terms at the time. Check the relevant Help Center for the current policy rather than assuming one.
Why can't I find a cancel button on the ChatGPT website?
You probably subscribed through the App Store or Google Play, or through a team workspace. In those cases the website won't show it, so use the store settings or ask your workspace owner.
