Alexis Kestler
Hey there! If you‘re looking for help on how to cancel your Youtube Premium subscription, you‘ve come to the right place. I‘m going to walk you through step-by-step how to cancel Premium on both desktop and mobile, as well as how to cancel a free trial before getting charged.
Cancelling Youtube Premium is quick and straightforward – just a few clicks and you‘re done. I‘ll provide images to guide you for every step. By the end of this guide, you‘ll know exactly how to cancel Premium across any device.
Let‘s get started!
Overview: How to Cancel Youtube Premium
Here‘s a quick rundown of how to cancel Youtube Premium:
- On Desktop: Click your profile picture > Manage Membership > Cancel Membership
- On Mobile: Tap your profile icon > Purchases and Memberships > Cancel Membership
- Cancel Free Trial: Go to Settings > Memberships > Cancel before billing
Below I‘ll go through these steps in more detail with images to help guide you.
But first, let‘s take a quick look at what Youtube Premium includes so you know what you‘ll be losing access to when you cancel.
What Does Youtube Premium Include?
Youtube Premium (formerly known as Youtube Red) is Youtube‘s special membership that gives you an enhanced ad-free watching experience and other benefits.
Here‘s an overview of what you get as a Youtube Premium member:
- No ads – Watch videos with no interruptions
- Background play – Listen to videos while using other apps or with the screen off
- Offline viewing – Download videos to watch when no internet connection
- Youtube Music Premium – Ad-free music with ability to download songs
- Youtube Originals – Exclusive shows and movies not available on regular Youtube
In 2021, over 30 million people had an active Youtube Premium subscription. But if you feel it‘s no longer worth the $11.99 monthly fee for you, cancelling is your next step.
Now let‘s get into how to actually cancel your Youtube Premium membership.
Step 1: How to Cancel Youtube Premium on Desktop
If you subscribed to Youtube Premium on a computer, you‘ll need to go back to the desktop site to cancel.
Here‘s how to cancel Youtube Premium on the desktop website:
Click on Your Profile Picture
First, go to Youtube.com and make sure you‘re signed into the account with the Premium membership.
In the top right corner of the page, click on your profile picture:
This will open up the account menu.
Select "Manage Membership"
In the dropdown that appears, click on "Manage Membership":
This will take you to the memberships page where you can cancel.
Click "Cancel Membership"
On the memberships page, find the Youtube Premium section and click the "Cancel Membership" button:
Double check that you want to cancel when prompted.
And that‘s it! After confirming, your Youtube Premium subscription will be cancelled on your desktop.
Pretty easy right? Now let‘s go over how to cancel Youtube Premium on mobile.
Step 2: How to Cancel Youtube Premium on Mobile
If you mostly watch Youtube on your phone or tablet, here are the steps to cancel Premium right from the Youtube mobile app:
Tap Your Profile Icon
Open up the Youtube app on your iOS or Android mobile device. Tap on your profile icon in the top right corner:
This opens the account menu.
Select "Purchases and Memberships"
Next, tap on "Purchases and Memberships" to manage your memberships:
This will bring you to the memberships and subscription page.
Tap "Cancel Membership"
On this page, find your Youtube Premium membership and tap on "Cancel Membership":
Confirm that you want to cancel when prompted.
After confirming, your Youtube Premium subscription will be cancelled on your mobile device.
And that‘s it! Just those few simple steps needed to cancel your membership directly through the Youtube mobile app.
Step 3: How to Cancel a Youtube Premium Free Trial
If you signed up for a free trial of Youtube Premium and want to cancel before getting charged, here‘s what to do:
Go to Your Youtube Settings
On the Youtube mobile app, tap your profile picture > Settings:
This will open up your account settings.
Tap on "Memberships"
Scroll down and tap on "Memberships" to manage your Premium subscription:
This will show your Premium membership details.
Cancel Before the Next Billing Date
On this screen, you can see your next billing date for Premium. To avoid being charged, tap "Cancel" to cancel before that date:
As long as you cancel before the billing date, you won‘t be charged when your free trial ends.
And that‘s all you need to do to cancel a Youtube Premium free trial on mobile or desktop before getting charged!
Should You Pause or Cancel Youtube Premium?
When going to cancel your Youtube Premium membership, you‘ll see Youtube gives you the option to "pause" instead of fully cancel.
Here‘s the difference between pausing vs. cancelling Youtube Premium:
-
Pause – Temporarily disables Premium but keeps membership active so you can unpause later.
-
Cancel – Fully cancels Premium membership. You‘d have to subscribe again to reactivate.
If you think you may want to resubscribe to Premium again soon, pausing could be a good alternative to temporarily disable it without cancelling.
However, if you want to completely cancel and don‘t plan on resubscribing in the near future, selecting "Cancel membership" is the way to go.
What Changes When You Cancel Youtube Premium?
Once you cancel your Youtube Premium subscription, here are the main changes you‘ll notice:
- Ads return – Videos will have ads again
- No background play – Videos will stop if you switch apps while playing
- Lose offline viewing – Downloaded videos will be removed
- Lose Youtube Music – Ad-free music and downloads will go away
- No more Originals – Exclusive shows and movies will be locked
Aside from losing access to these Premium features, nothing else about your Youtube account will change when you cancel. Your entire watch history, subscriptions, and other data will remain intact.
You‘ll simply go back to regular Youtube with ads and other restrictions again. And you‘re always able to resubscribe if you change your mind later!
Below are answers to some common questions about what happens when you cancel Premium.
FAQ About Cancelling Youtube Premium
Will my Youtube data be deleted if I cancel Premium?
No, only your access to Premium content and features will be removed. Your entire watch history, subscriptions, playlists, likes, and other account data will remain exactly the same.
Can I reactivate Youtube Premium after cancelling?
Yes, you can resubscribe and reactive Premium anytime after cancelling if you change your mind. Just go through the subscription purchase process again as a new user.
What happens if I cancel during a free trial?
If you cancel Premium during a free trial, your access will immediately end. But you won‘t be charged since you cancelled before the billing date.
Can I get a refund if I cancel mid-billing cycle?
Unfortunately Youtube does not offer refunds for partial billing cycles when you cancel Premium. You‘ll retain access until the end of the period already paid for.
What‘s the difference between pausing and cancelling?
Pausing keeps your membership active so you can unpause later, while cancelling completely ends your membership. You‘d have to subscribe again after fully cancelling.
How much does Youtube Premium cost?
The current monthly price for Youtube Premium is $11.99 in the United States. Discounted annual plans are available for $107.99 per year. Prices may vary in other countries.
I hope these questions help explain what to expect when you cancel your Youtube Premium subscription!
How to Cancel Youtube Premium on iPhone
If you subscribed to Youtube Premium directly via the App Store on your iPhone, there‘s a different cancellation process:
Cancel in iPhone Settings
To cancel Youtube Premium on an iPhone, you‘ll need to go through your Apple account settings:
- Open the Settings app > Tap your name > Subscriptions > Manage
- Tap your Youtube Premium subscription > Tap Cancel Subscription
This will stop billing you through the App Store and cancel your membership.
So in summary, on an iPhone you‘ll need to cancel Youtube Premium through the Settings app rather than the Youtube app itself.
Enjoy Youtube Without Paying for Premium
And there you have it! You now know how to cancel your Youtube Premium subscription on both mobile and desktop.
While Premium has some nice perks, the ad-free experience may no longer be worth the $11.99 monthly fee for you. The good news is you can easily cancel anytime you want.
You‘ll go back to regular Youtube with ads and some limitations. But the vast video library is still available to explore without paying for Premium!
I hope this step-by-step guide helped explain exactly how to cancel your Youtube Premium membership across any device. Let me know if you have any other questions!
