How to Cancel YouTube Premium (2026)
Quick answer
You can cancel YouTube Premium (or YouTube Music Premium) for free at any time, with no fees or penalties. If you signed up directly through Google, cancel at youtube.com/paid_memberships in any web browser or in the YouTube app on Android. After you cancel, your Premium benefits keep working until the end of the current billing period, and you won't be charged again. Important: if you subscribed through Apple (App Store) or Google Play, you must cancel in that store instead.
How to cancel YouTube Premium, step by step
Online (web browser)
- 1Go to your paid memberships pageOpen youtube.com/paid_memberships in any browser and sign in with the Google account you used to subscribe.
- 2Open your membershipFind your YouTube Premium membership and click Deactivate (or Manage / Continue to cancel).
- 3Confirm the cancellationClick Continue to cancel, pick a reason if asked, click Next, then click Yes, cancel to finish.
- 4Check the confirmationYou should see that the membership is set to end on your next billing date. Your benefits stay active until then.
Android app
- 1Open paid memberships in the appIn the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, then tap Paid memberships.
- 2Select and cancelTap your membership, tap Continue to cancel, choose a reason, tap Next, then tap Yes, cancel.
iPhone / iPad (billed through Apple)
- 1Open your Apple subscriptionsIf you subscribed inside the YouTube iOS app, the charge runs through Apple. Open Settings, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions.
- 2Cancel the subscriptionTap YouTube Premium, then tap Cancel Subscription. You keep access until the end of the paid period.
โฐ Deadline
Cancel at least 24 hours before your next billing date to avoid the next charge. Cancelling does not give a partial refund for the current period โ but you keep Premium until that period ends.
๐ต Fees
No cancellation fees or penalties. YouTube Premium is a month-to-month (or annual) subscription you can stop anytime.
โฉ๏ธ Refunds
There is no automatic refund for the current billing period โ instead, your benefits continue until that period ends. Refunds for accidental or recent charges are handled case by case; if you were billed through Apple or Google Play, request any refund from that store, not from YouTube.
Retention traps to expect
- There's no partial refund, so cancelling right after a charge wastes the rest of the period unless you time it before renewal.
- If you subscribed through Apple or Google Play, the cancel button is missing from YouTube โ you must cancel inside that store instead.
The bottom line on cancelling YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is one of the painless cancels: it is free with no penalties, done at youtube.com/paid_memberships, and your benefits run until the current period ends. The one catch is timing โ there is no partial refund, so cancel at least 24 hours before your next billing date to avoid another charge.
If the cancel button seems missing, you almost certainly signed up through Apple or Google Play, and you must cancel inside that store, not YouTube. On a monthly plan you can also pause for one to six months instead of cancelling โ though not if Apple bills you.
Ways to cancel YouTube Premium at a glance
| Method | Available? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online (web browser) | โ Yes | 4 steps |
| Android app | โ Yes | 2 steps |
| iPhone / iPad (billed through Apple) | โ Yes | 2 steps |
Cancelling YouTube Premium vs Spotify vs Apple Music
How the cancellation experience stacks up against similar services.
| YouTube Premium | Spotify | Apple Music | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel online? | โ Yes | โ Yes | โ Yes |
| Ease of cancelling | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 |
| Refund fairness | 3 / 5 | 3 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| No dark patterns | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 |
YouTube Premium cancellation โ FAQ
๏ผ โ Will I lose access immediately when I cancel?
No. Your YouTube Premium benefits (ad-free videos, background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium) stay active until the end of your current billing period, then your account returns to the free, ad-supported version.
๏ผ โ I can't find a way to cancel โ why?
This usually means you subscribed through a third party. If you signed up in the iPhone/iPad app, cancel in Apple's Settings > Subscriptions. If you subscribed via Google Play or a mobile carrier, cancel in that account instead.
๏ผ โ Can I cancel a free trial without being charged?
Yes. As long as you cancel before the trial end date shown on your paid memberships page, you won't be charged. You may keep trial benefits until the trial period ends.
๏ผ โ Can I pause my membership instead of cancelling?
Yes, on a monthly plan. At youtube.com/paid_memberships choose Pause instead of Deactivate, and use the slider to pause for 1 to 6 months. The pause starts after your current billing cycle ends, and you are not charged again until you resume. Note: annual plans cannot be paused, and pausing is not available if you are billed through Apple.
Sources & official policy links
This guide is independently written and not affiliated with YouTube Premium. Cancellation terms can change at any time โ always confirm the current policy on the official website before cancelling.