How to Cancel YouTube Music in 2026
The web cancellation itself is short (about five clicks at youtube.com/paid_memberships), but the real difficulty is figuring out WHO bills you. If you subscribed via the iPhone app (Apple) or via Google Play / a Pixel Pass / a mobile carrier bundle, Google's own page does not let you cancel — you must cancel in Apple's or Google Play's settings instead. There is also a multi-step "reason for canceling" interstitial and a prominent "Pause instead" diversion that retains the subscription rather than ending it.
Direct cancellation page
Go straight to YouTube Music's cancel page ↗
Cancel now ↗- Methods accepted
- Online
- Average time
- ~5min
- Effective in
- Immediately
Why this is harder than it should be
Cancelling YouTube Music Premium is rarely as simple as Google makes it sound, because the single biggest source of confusion is figuring out who actually charges you. If you signed up inside the iPhone app, Apple bills you and Google's own cancel page won't help; if you joined through Google Play, a Pixel Pass, or a phone-carrier bundle, the cancel button lives somewhere else entirely. People routinely "cancel" in the YouTube app, see no error, and get charged again next month. On top of that, the web flow ends with a multi-step exit: a slider-based "Pause instead" offer (1–6 months) that keeps your subscription alive, then a mandatory "reason for canceling" screen before you can confirm. Family plans add another wrinkle — only the family manager can end the shared membership. And cancelling never refunds the unused part of the current cycle; Premium simply runs out the clock. None of these are catastrophic, but together they explain why so many people think they cancelled and didn't.
Step-by-step
Verified June 25, 2026
- 01
First confirm who actually bills you. Open youtube.com/paid_memberships while signed in and look at the payment method shown. If it says Apple/iTunes you must cancel through Apple; if it says Google Play you must cancel in the Play Store; Pixel Pass and some carrier bundles are managed separately.
Watch outIf you originally subscribed inside the iPhone YouTube/YouTube Music app, Google's page will NOT cancel your plan and may not even show a cancel button — you have to go to Apple's subscription settings. - 02
On a computer, go to youtube.com/paid_memberships and sign in with the Google account that holds the membership.
Watch outIf you are on a YouTube Premium family plan, only the family manager's account can cancel the shared membership — individual members cannot. - 03
Click 'Manage membership' next to your YouTube Music Premium (or YouTube Premium) plan.
Watch outYouTube Music Premium and the broader YouTube Premium are surfaced here together; make sure you are acting on the right one if you have both. - 04
Click 'Deactivate' (on some screens labeled 'Cancel membership' / 'Continue to cancel').
Watch outThis screen pushes 'Pause instead' (1–6 months). Pausing does NOT cancel — it just stops billing temporarily and you keep an active subscription that will auto-resume and charge again. Choose this only if you actually want to keep the plan. - 05
On the next screen, choose 'No thanks' / continue past the pause offer, then select a reason for canceling from the list and click 'Next'.
Watch outA reason is required to proceed; you cannot skip this interstitial. - 06
Click 'Yes, cancel' to confirm. You should see confirmation that auto-renewal is off and benefits continue until the end of the current billing period.
Watch outYou are NOT refunded for the unused remainder of the current cycle — Premium just runs until the period ends, then stops. - 07
If you were billed through Apple instead, open Settings on your iPhone/iPad, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, tap YouTube Premium, then tap Cancel Subscription. If billed through Google Play, open the Play Store app, tap your profile, Payments & subscriptions, Subscriptions, select YouTube, then Cancel subscription.
Watch outCanceling inside the YouTube app does nothing for Apple/Google Play subscribers — the charge keeps coming until you cancel in the store that bills you.
Refund policy
No refund for the unused remainder of the current billing cycle after cancellation; benefits simply continue until the period ends. Refunds may be granted if features don't work or for a mistaken/post-cancellation charge — request via youtube.com/account. Apple- and Google Play-billed plans follow Apple's and Google Play's own refund policies.
Free trial trap
Trials auto-convert to a paid monthly plan at the card on file when they end; you must cancel before the trial end date to avoid being charged. A 1–14 day authorization hold at signup is normal and not a real charge. Only one introductory trial per 12-month period.
What to do if they refuse to cancel
If you cancelled but are still being charged, first re-check the billing source: open youtube.com/paid_memberships and read the payment method. An Apple- or Google Play-billed plan can only be stopped in Apple's Subscriptions settings or the Play Store — cancelling in the YouTube app does nothing. If you were wrongly charged after a confirmed cancellation, or charged at the end of a free trial you tried to cancel in time: request a refund at youtube.com/account (or contact YouTube support via the in-app/web Help → Contact us flow). For Apple-billed plans, refunds are governed by Apple's policy at reportaproblem.apple.com; for Google Play, use the Play Store order history "Request a refund" option. If Google, Apple, or Google Play refuses a charge you can document as unauthorized or post-cancellation, dispute it with your bank or card issuer as a chargeback — keep your cancellation confirmation email/screenshot as evidence. You can also file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and residents of California, New York, or Vermont can escalate to their State Attorney General's consumer protection office, which enforces auto-renewal disclosure and easy-cancellation laws.
Frequently asked questions
I cancelled in the YouTube app but I'm still being charged — why?
Will I get a refund for the rest of the month when I cancel?
How do I make sure a free trial doesn't auto-charge me?
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Free guide
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A 22-page free PDF covering FTC Click-to-Cancel, chargebacks, state laws, and how to escalate when YouTube Music or anyone else refuses to honor a cancellation. Sent once. No spam.
Educational only · Not legal advice · Verified June 25, 2026 · Report an error