- First, work out who bills you
- Cancel YouTube Premium on a computer
- Cancel YouTube Premium on iPhone or iPad
- If Google Play bills you
- What happens after you cancel
- What you lose when it ends
- Pause instead of cancelling
- Annual plans work differently
- Still being charged after cancelling?
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To cancel YouTube Premium on a computer, go to youtube.com/paid_memberships, click Manage membership, then Deactivate, Continue to cancel, choose a reason and click Yes, cancel. If you joined through the iPhone app, you cancel in your Apple subscriptions instead. Your benefits carry on until the end of the billing period you've already paid for.
The single biggest reason people can't cancel is that they're looking in the wrong place. Who bills you decides where the cancel button lives: YouTube, Apple or Google Play.
Below are the steps for each, plus the pause option most people don't know about. All of it comes from YouTube's own help article on cancelling, read in October 2026.
First, work out who bills you
| How you signed up | Where you cancel |
|---|---|
| On the YouTube website or Android app, paid to YouTube | youtube.com/paid_memberships |
| In the YouTube app on iPhone or iPad | Your Apple subscriptions |
| Through a Google Play subscription | Your Google Play account settings |
| As part of Pixel Pass | Your Pixel Pass subscription |
If you're not sure, check your bank statement. The name on the charge tells you which one to use.
Cancel YouTube Premium on a computer
- Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships while signed in.
- Click Manage membership.
- Click Deactivate.
- Click Continue to cancel.
- Select your reason for cancelling, then click Next.
- Click Yes, cancel.
Notice the word Deactivate. A lot of people scroll past it looking for a button that says Cancel, so it's worth knowing that's the one you want.
Cancel YouTube Premium on iPhone or iPad
- In the YouTube app, tap Settings, then Purchases and memberships.
- Tap the membership you want to cancel.
- Tap Manage Apple Subscriptions.
- Tap your membership.
- Tap Cancel.
There's a twist here. If you're on an iPhone but YouTube bills you through Google rather than Apple, YouTube says you have to cancel on a non-iOS device, such as a computer. The iPhone app can't do it for you.
If Google Play bills you
When your Premium comes through a Google Play subscription, you cancel inside your Google Play account settings, not in YouTube. YouTube's help article links you there from its own page, but the cancellation itself happens on the Play side.
If your Premium comes as part of Pixel Pass, YouTube's article sends you to your Pixel Pass subscription instead, because Premium is bundled into it. Cancelling inside YouTube won't change a bundle you pay for somewhere else.
What happens after you cancel
- You won't be charged again unless you subscribe again.
- Your Premium benefits keep working until the end of the billing period you've paid for.
- Downloads, background play and ad-free viewing stop when that period ends.
- You can check whether you've already cancelled at youtube.com/paid_memberships.
So there's no need to wait until the last day of the month to cancel. Cancelling early doesn't cut your access short.
What you lose when it ends
It helps to know what stops working, so nothing catches you out on the last day. When your paid period runs out, you lose the features YouTube lists for Premium:
- Ad-free viewing across YouTube, YouTube Kids and YouTube Music.
- Background play with your screen off.
- Your downloaded videos, which stop playing offline.
- YouTube Music Premium, if you got it as part of YouTube Premium.
The same steps cancel YouTube Music Premium on its own. YouTube's help article covers both memberships together.
Pause instead of cancelling
YouTube lets Premium and Music Premium members cancel, pause or resume at any time, and you can also switch to an annual plan or a Family plan from the same place. Pausing is handy if you're travelling or watching less for a while and plan to come back.
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The catch: YouTube says pausing and resuming isn't available if Apple bills you. In that case, cancelling and rejoining later is your only option.
Annual plans work differently
If you bought the prepaid annual plan, there's nothing to cancel in the usual sense, because it doesn't renew. Your benefits simply end after 12 months. YouTube says annual plans can't be refunded or paused, and if you want to end access early you contact YouTube Support, knowing you'll lose the remaining months.
Still being charged after cancelling?
- Check youtube.com/paid_memberships to confirm the membership shows as cancelled.
- Check your Apple subscriptions and your Google Play subscriptions too. It's possible to have Premium billed in two places on different accounts.
- Make sure you're signed in to the right Google Account. Premium is tied to one account, and many people have more than one.
- If a charge still looks wrong, use the refund and support routes linked from YouTube's cancel article.
My verdict
Cancel from the place that bills you and you'll be done in under a minute. If you might come back, pause rather than cancel, unless you're on Apple billing where that isn't an option. And if you also pay for YouTube TV, that's a separate subscription with its own steps, covered in my guide to cancelling YouTube TV.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cancel YouTube Premium?
On a computer, go to youtube.com/paid_memberships, click Manage membership, then Deactivate, Continue to cancel, pick a reason, Next and Yes, cancel. If Apple bills you, cancel in your Apple subscriptions instead.
Why can't I cancel YouTube Premium on my iPhone?
If Google bills you rather than Apple, YouTube says iOS users must cancel on a non-iOS device such as a computer. If Apple bills you, use Manage Apple Subscriptions.
How do I cancel YouTube Premium billed through Google Play?
Cancel it inside your Google Play account settings. YouTube's help article says Google Play subscriptions are managed there, not in YouTube.
Do I lose YouTube Premium straight away when I cancel?
No. YouTube says your benefits continue until the end of the billing period, and you won't be charged again unless you re-subscribe.
Can I pause YouTube Premium instead of cancelling?
Yes, YouTube lets members pause and resume at any time, but pausing isn't available to people who are billed through Apple.
How do I cancel a YouTube Premium annual plan?
Annual plans don't renew, so they end on their own after 12 months. They can't be refunded or paused, and ending one early means contacting YouTube Support.
How do I know if my YouTube Premium is cancelled?
Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships while signed in. It shows whether your membership is still active or already cancelled.
