To cancel YouTube TV, tap your profile picture, open Settings, go to Membership, choose Manage and then Cancel membership. If you signed up through Apple on an iPhone, you cancel in your iPhone's Settings under your name and Subscriptions instead. You'll keep watching until the end of the billing period you've already covered.
Cancelling YouTube TV doesn't touch YouTube Premium. They're two separate memberships, so if you want to stop both you'll need to end each one on its own. It also doesn't delete your Google account or your normal YouTube history.
The route you take depends on where you first signed up, and that's the part that trips most people up. Here's the short version, then the full steps for each device.
Three routes at a glance
| Where you are | What to do | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Computer (web browser) | Click your profile picture, open Settings, choose Membership, then Manage and Cancel membership. | Make sure you're signed in to the Google account that holds the membership. |
| Android app | Tap your profile picture, open Settings, choose Membership, then Manage and Cancel membership. | The same menu lives in the YouTube TV app, not the regular YouTube app. |
| iPhone or iPad | Try the same Membership menu first. If it sends you away or doesn't show a cancel option, open iPhone Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. | If you signed up through Apple, only Apple's subscriptions list can end it. |
First, work out where you're billed
Before you tap anything, spend one minute on this. It saves a lot of hunting through menus.
- Signed up with a Google account: you manage the membership inside YouTube TV, on any device. This covers most people who joined on a computer or an Android phone.
- Signed up through Apple on an iPhone or iPad: Apple bills you, so Apple's subscription list is where you cancel.
- In a family group: the person who set up the membership is the one who manages it, so they'll need to be the one to cancel or pause.
If you have more than one Google account on your phone or computer, the Membership menu may show nothing at all because you're in the wrong one. Switching is quick, and I've covered it here: how to switch accounts on YouTube.
Cancel YouTube TV on a computer
- Open YouTube TV in your web browser and sign in.
- Click your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Click Settings, then Membership.
- Click Manage next to your YouTube TV membership.
- Choose Cancel membership and follow the prompts. You may be asked why you're leaving and offered a pause instead.
- Confirm at the end. You should get a confirmation email, so keep it.
Cancel YouTube TV on an Android phone or tablet
- Open the YouTube TV app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings, then Membership.
- Tap Manage, then Cancel membership.
- Follow the prompts and confirm.
Cancel YouTube TV on an iPhone or iPad
If you joined through the YouTube TV app using your Google account, the steps match the Android ones above: profile picture, Settings, Membership, Manage, Cancel membership. If you signed up using Apple's in-app purchase, the app can't end it for you. Do this instead:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap your name at the very top.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Find YouTube TV in the list and tap it.
- Tap Cancel Subscription and confirm.
Menus move around between app versions. If a name looks different on your screen, search the app's settings for the word Membership, or search your iPhone settings for the word Subscriptions.
One more habit worth having: don't just remove your card or ignore the emails and hope the membership stops. That isn't the same as cancelling. Use the Cancel membership button, or the Apple subscription list, so the end date is recorded.
Pause instead of cancelling
If you only want a break, say for the quiet part of the sports calendar or while you're away, pausing is often the better move. In the same Membership screen you'll see a Pause option next to Cancel. YouTube shows the pause lengths on offer inside the app, so pick whichever fits.
While a membership is paused you aren't billed, and it comes back on its own at the end of the pause. That's handy, but it's also how people end up charged again by surprise. Put a reminder in your phone for the day before it restarts, then decide whether to keep it, pause again or cancel.
Pausing makes sense when you plan to come back. Cancelling makes sense when you're not sure you will. There's no penalty for either that I know of, but plans and terms change, so check the current terms in the app before you decide.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
What happens to your recordings after you cancel
Your recordings live in your YouTube TV library, and the library belongs to your membership. Once your access ends, don't expect to keep watching what you recorded. The exact rules for how long YouTube holds recordings for someone who comes back later are set by YouTube and can change, so I won't guess at a number.
Here's what I'd do if there's something you really want to watch:
- Watch it before your billing period ends. You keep full access until then, so there's no need to cancel on the very last second.
- Cancel near the end of your billing period rather than the start, so you use up what you've already covered.
- Check the current terms in the YouTube TV help centre if you think you might come back and want your library to be waiting.
- Don't rely on any download or screen recording as a back-up. Recordings are meant for watching inside the service.
How to check it worked
Go back to Settings, then Membership. You should see either an end date for your access or a message saying your membership is cancelled. Look for the confirmation email too. If you cancelled through Apple, open Subscriptions again and check that YouTube TV now shows an expiry date rather than a renewal date.
If something still looks wrong, the YouTube help area explains what each message means. I keep a plain-English summary in my YouTube help guide, which is a good place to start if you're stuck.
Frequently asked questions
Does cancelling YouTube TV cancel YouTube Premium?
No. They're separate memberships. Cancelling YouTube TV leaves any YouTube Premium plan you have exactly as it was, and you'd need to end that one separately.
Do I lose access straight away when I cancel?
No. You keep access until the end of the billing period you've already covered. After that the membership ends.
Why can't I find the cancel button on my iPhone?
You probably signed up through Apple. In that case, open your iPhone's Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and cancel YouTube TV there.
Is it better to pause or to cancel?
Pause if you plan to come back soon, because it holds the membership for a set time that the app shows you. Cancel if you're not sure you'll return, and check the current terms before you decide.
