How to Cancel a Subscription on Android

There are lots of popular music, TV, and movie streaming services in 2022. You can subscribe to most of them using Google Play on Android devices. If you would like to take a break from one or more of your subscriptions, you can cancel at any time. Read on to learn how to cancel a subscription on Android.

How to Cancel a Subscription on Android

When you have an Android device, you can use the Google Play app store to subscribe to different services, including music, TV, and movie streaming services. You can also access Google Play Pass, which gives you access to hundreds of games with one subscription.

All subscriptions made on an Android device (TV, smartphone, tablet, etc) happen via the Google Play app. If you decide that you want to cancel a service you subscribed for on Android, you can follow the instructions listed below:

1. On your Android device, tap the Play icon to open the Google Play app
2. Tap the profile icon on the top right side of the screen
3. Tap the button labeled Payments & Subscriptions
4. Select Subscriptions
5. Choose the subscription you want to cancel from the list shown
6. Tap the button labeled Cancel to end your subscription
7. Follow the instructions to confirm your choice.

Please note if your subscription comes with an app, and that app gets removed from the Google Play store, your subscription will automatically be canceled, but your previous subscription payments will not be refunded.

Managing Your Subscriptions on Google Play

Google Play allows you to control all of the settings for your subscriptions, but only if you signed up for them on an Android device. If you signed up through another service like Amazon, look at how to cancel subscriptions on Amazon.

Some of the options when managing your Google Play subscriptions are explained below.

Subscription is Canceled But Still Active

After you cancel your subscription, you will still have access to the service until the end of the last billing period. During that time, your subscription will still be active. You can use the instructions listed below to manage it:

1. On your Android device, tap the Play icon to open the Google Play app
2. Tap the profile icon on the top right side of the screen
3. Tap the button labeled Payments & Subscriptions
4. Select Subscriptions
5. Choose the subscription you want to manage from the list shown
6. Tap the button labeled Resubscribe
7. Follow the instructions to confirm your choice.

Subscription is Canceled But Has Expired

At the end of the last billing period after you cancel your subscription, you will lose access to the service and you won’t be charged anymore. When this happens, your subscription has expired. If you want to manage it, you will need to set it up again as you did when you first subscribed.

Please note that some subscriptions don’t let you resubscribe after they have expired.

How to Check Your Subscriptions and Renewal Dates on Android

A good way to keep an eye on your finances is to know when all of your subscription renewal dates are.

You can follow the instructions listed below to check your subscription renewal dates using your Android device:

1. On your Android device, tap the Play icon to open the Google Play app
2. Tap the profile icon on the top right side of the screen
3. Tap the button labeled Payments & Subscriptions
4. Select Subscriptions
5. The list of all your subscriptions will also show if any payment methods have failed.

What Happens After You Cancel?

Generally, if you cancel a subscription that you signed up for through Google Play, you will not get a refund. Instead of a refund, you will continue to have access to the service you subscribed for until the end of the billing period shown in the Subscriptions menu.

After that, your subscription will expire and you will no longer have access to the service. You will also not be charged automatically anymore. There are no cancellation fees when you cancel a subscription on Google Play.

For Play Pass subscriptions, the apps you installed from Play Pass will remain on your device along with their data. In ad-supported games, adverts will reappear in the game. For paid games, the app will require you to buy them separately or subscribe to Play Pass before you can play.

How to Pause a Subscription on Google Play

For some apps, you have the option of pausing your subscription instead of canceling it. When you pause a subscription, your payments will stop at the end of the billing period, but your subscription will not expire. Instead, you will be able to unpause it and get access to the service again.

Follow the instructions below to pause a subscription on Google Play if it supports that function:

1. On your Android device, tap the Play icon to open the Google Play app
2. Tap the profile icon on the top right side of the screen
3. Tap the button labeled Payments & Subscriptions
4. Select Subscriptions
5. Choose the subscription you want to pause from the list
6. Select Manage
7. Tap Pause Payments
8. Choose how long to pause your payments for
9. Tap the button labeled Confirm.

How to Restart a Subscription on Google Play

You can restart a subscription on Google Play by following the instructions listed below.

1. On your Android device, tap the Play icon to open the Google Play app
2. Tap the profile icon on the top right side of the screen
3. Tap the button labeled Payments & Subscriptions
4. Select Subscriptions
5. Choose the subscription you want to manage from the list shown
6. Tap the button labeled Resubscribe
7. Follow the instructions to confirm your choice.

Android Subscription Cancelation FAQ

The following FAQ often comes up about how to cancel a subscription on Android.

How do I cancel my subscription billed through Google Play/Android?

You can use Google Play to cancel any of your subscriptions, as long as you signed up for them that way. The instructions listed below will guide you on how to cancel a subscription on Android:

1. On your Android device, tap the Play icon to open the Google Play app
2. Tap the profile icon on the top right side of the screen
3. Tap the button labeled Payments & Subscriptions
4. Select Subscriptions
5. Choose the subscription you want to cancel from the list shown
6. Tap the button labeled Cancel to end your subscription
7. Follow the instructions to confirm your choice.

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Final Thoughts 

The method of how to cancel a subscription on Android is simple. Just access the Subscriptions menu in the Google Play app on your device. This is only applicable if you subscribed on Android, though. Alternatively, look at how to cancel subscriptions on iPhone. Generally, you will not get a refund after you cancel your subscription. Instead, you will continue to have access to the service you subscribed for until the end of the billing period, then you will lose access and won’t be charged anymore. Some subscriptions allow you to temporarily pause payments for a set time without cancelling.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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