YouTube Premium gives millions of users an ad-free viewing experience, background play, and access to YouTube Music. It’s a convenient subscription that makes streaming smoother and more enjoyable. But sometimes, you may decide it’s time to cancel — whether you’re cutting down on subscriptions, testing other streaming platforms, or just not using Premium as much as you thought.
The good news? Cancelling YouTube Premium is simple. You can do it from your phone, tablet, or computer in just a few clicks. In this guide, you’ll learn the exact steps to cancel your YouTube Premium membership, what happens after you cancel, and how to manage your account to avoid accidental renewals.
Understanding YouTube Premium
Before diving into the cancellation process, let’s briefly understand what YouTube Premium offers.
YouTube Premium is a paid membership that enhances the regular YouTube experience. It removes ads from videos, allows background playback on mobile devices, supports offline downloads, and includes access to YouTube Music Premium — a complete music streaming service.
While these features are valuable for many, others might find the cost unnecessary if they don’t use the premium benefits regularly. Subscriptions can also pile up quickly, so it’s smart to review your active plans occasionally and cancel those you don’t fully use.
Why You Might Want to Cancel YouTube Premium
Even though YouTube Premium offers many advantages, there are several reasons why someone might want to cancel it:
- Cost considerations – The monthly fee can add up, especially when you’re subscribed to other services like Netflix, Spotify, or Amazon Prime Video.
- Limited usage – The benefits might not justify the cost if you don’t watch YouTube frequently or rarely use background play and downloads.
- Switching to alternatives – Some users prefer free music platforms, ad blockers, or different streaming apps.
- Temporary break – You might just need a pause for a few months to save money or test other services.
Whatever your reason, cancelling YouTube Premium is quick and hassle-free.
How to Cancel YouTube Premium on Desktop
If you usually access YouTube from your computer, here’s how to cancel your Premium membership:
- Go to YouTube’s website
Open your preferred web browser and visit www.youtube.com. Make sure you’re logged in with the account that has the active Premium subscription. - Click on your profile icon
In the top-right corner of the YouTube homepage, you’ll see your profile picture. Clicking on it will bring up a drop-down menu. - Select “Purchases and memberships”
From the menu options, click on “Purchases and memberships”. This will take you to a page showing all your active and past YouTube subscriptions. - Find YouTube Premium
Locate your Premium subscription under the “Memberships” section. - Click “Deactivate” or “Cancel membership”
You will get the choice to “Cancel membership” or “Deactivate”. Click here to begin the cancellation process. - Confirm your cancellation
YouTube may ask you to confirm the reason for cancelling or suggest switching to a different plan. Choose the appropriate option and confirm.
Once confirmed, your Premium plan will remain active until the end of your billing cycle. You won’t be charged again unless you decide to rejoin.
How to Cancel YouTube Premium on Android
If you subscribed using an Android device or the Google Play Store, the process is just as simple.
- On your phone or tablet, open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Go to “Purchases and memberships”.
- Select “YouTube Premium”.
- Tap “Deactivate” or “Cancel”.
If you subscribed through Google Play, you’ll be redirected there to complete the cancellation. Simply tap “Cancel subscription” and confirm your choice.
Your subscription will continue until the end of the billing period, after which you’ll revert to the free version of YouTube.
How to Cancel YouTube Premium on iPhone (iOS)
If you signed up for YouTube Premium through Apple’s App Store, the process goes through your Apple ID settings instead of the YouTube app.
- Open the Settings app on your iPad or iPhone.
- Tap your Apple ID name at the top.
- Select “Subscriptions”.
- Find YouTube Premium in the list of active subscriptions.
- Tap “Cancel Subscription”.
- Confirm your cancellation.
Apple will handle the cancellation, and you’ll continue to have Premium access until your current billing cycle ends.
What Happens After You Cancel YouTube Premium
Cancelling YouTube Premium doesn’t delete your account or remove your saved preferences. However, there are a few important things to know about what changes after cancellation:
- No ad-free videos: You’ll start seeing ads again before and during videos.
- No background playback: Videos will pause if you switch apps or turn off the screen.
- No offline downloads: Any previously downloaded videos will become unavailable once your Premium period ends.
- YouTube Music changes: Your YouTube Music Premium benefits, like ad-free music and offline listening, will also stop.
If you decide later that you miss these features, you can always resubscribe with just a few clicks.
How to Pause Your YouTube Premium Subscription
If you’re not sure whether you want to cancel permanently, YouTube allows you to pause your subscription instead. This feature is useful when you want to take a short break but plan to return later.
Here’s how to pause your plan:
- Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships.
- Under “Premium”, click “Deactivate”.
- Select the pause option when prompted.
- Choose how long you want to pause (up to 6 months).
While paused, you won’t be charged, and your membership will automatically resume once the pause period ends.
Canceling a Free Trial of YouTube Premium
Many users sign up for the free one-month trial of YouTube Premium. If you don’t want to be charged after the trial, it’s important to cancel before the trial period ends.
The cancellation process is the same as for a paid plan — through your YouTube account settings or the Google Play/Apple App Store, depending on where you subscribed.
After cancelling, you can continue to use Premium benefits until the trial expiration date. You’ll receive reminders from YouTube before the trial ends, giving you time to make a decision.
Common Issues When Canceling YouTube Premium
Occasionally, users face issues during cancellation. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:
- You’re logged into the wrong account: Make sure you’re signed into the same Google account you used to subscribe.
- Subscription via a different platform: If you subscribed through Apple or another third party, you must cancel it from that platform’s settings.
- Pending payments: If there’s a billing issue or an unpaid invoice, you may need to clear it before cancelling.
- Mobile app glitches: Try cancelling from a desktop browser if the mobile app isn’t responding properly.
If you still can’t cancel, you can reach out to YouTube Support via their help centre for assistance.
How to Verify That Your YouTube Premium Is Canceled
After cancellation, it’s a good idea to confirm that your subscription has indeed been terminated.
- Visit youtube.com/paid_memberships.
- Under “Memberships”, check the status.
- If it says “Cancelled” or shows an end date, your cancellation is complete.
- You’ll also receive a confirmation email from YouTube or Google confirming your cancellation.
- This ensures you won’t be charged again in the next billing cycle.
Tips for Managing Subscriptions Smartly
Cancelling YouTube Premium is part of a broader habit — managing your digital subscriptions wisely. It’s easy to forget about small recurring payments that add up each month. Here are a few tips to stay on top of your subscriptions:
- Review your paid memberships regularly and remove unused ones.
- Use budgeting apps or your bank’s subscription tracker feature.
- Set reminders a few days before billing dates for trials and renewals.
- Consider using annual plans only for services you use daily.
Taking small steps to manage subscriptions can help you save money and avoid unnecessary charges.
Rejoining YouTube Premium Anytime
If you change your mind later, rejoining YouTube Premium is effortless. Just visit youtube.com/premium or use the YouTube app, select your plan, and complete the payment process.
Your preferences, playlists, and recommendations will remain the same, so you can pick up right where you left off.
Final Thoughts
Cancelling YouTube Premium is a simple process that takes just a few clicks, whether you’re on desktop, Android, or iPhone. You don’t lose your YouTube account — only the paid perks like ad-free viewing, offline downloads, and background play.
Whether you’re trying to cut costs or just taking a break, knowing how to manage your subscription gives you full control over your online spending. And if you ever decide to come back, YouTube Premium will be ready for you — waiting just a click away.
FAQ’s
How do I cancel my YouTube Premium subscription?
You can cancel YouTube Premium by visiting youtube.com/paid_memberships or through the YouTube app. Go to your profile, choose “Purchases and memberships”, select YouTube Premium, and click “Deactivate” or “Cancel membership”. Confirm your choice, and your plan will end after the current billing cycle.
What happens when I cancel YouTube Premium?
After cancellation, you’ll still have Premium benefits until your billing cycle ends. Once it expires, ads will return, background playback and offline downloads will stop, and YouTube Music Premium access will be removed. You can rejoin anytime by resubscribing through your account.
Can I pause YouTube Premium instead of cancelling it?
Yes, YouTube allows you to pause your Premium membership for up to six months. During the paused period, you won’t be charged, and your access will automatically resume once the pause duration ends. You can set this up through your paid memberships page on YouTube.
How do I cancel YouTube Premium on iPhone?
If you subscribed through Apple’s App Store, open your iPhone’s Settings, tap your name, then “Subscriptions”. Find YouTube Premium, tap Cancel Subscription, and confirm. Apple will handle the cancellation, and you’ll continue to enjoy premium features until your billing cycle ends.
Will I get a refund after cancelling YouTube Premium?
No, YouTube doesn’t offer partial refunds for unused days. You’ll retain access to all premium features until the end of your current billing period. After that, your account will automatically revert to the free, ad-supported version of YouTube.