Deleting the App Did Not Cancel the Subscription

What to check

• Deleting an app removes the software from your device. It does not contact the billing system or cancel anything. Subscriptions are agreements between you and a billing provider, not between you and the app icon on your screen. Whether you signed up through Apple, Google Play, or the service's own website, the subscription continues until you cancel it in the place where billing is managed. The app and the subscription are two separate things.

• If you signed up through the Apple App Store, your subscription is managed by Apple, not by the app. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions. Find the service in the list and cancel it there. You can also manage Apple subscriptions at apps.apple.com. Removing the app from your home screen or offloading it does nothing to change what Apple bills you for each month.

• If you signed up through Google Play, your subscription is managed by Google. Open the Google Play Store app, tap your profile icon, go to Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions. Find the service and cancel from that screen. Uninstalling the app from an Android phone, Chromebook, or Android TV does not notify Google to stop billing. The subscription stays active until you cancel it inside Google Play.

• If you signed up on the service's website, the subscription lives in your account settings on that site. Log in to the service directly and look for billing, subscription, or membership settings. Some services only allow cancellation through their website, not through their app. Deleting the app from any device has no connection to the account you created on the website.

• Deleting an app from a smart TV, streaming stick, or game console also does not cancel anything. If you remove the Netflix app from your Roku, the Hulu app from your Fire Stick, or any other app from your smart TV, the subscription remains active wherever you originally signed up. These devices are just access points. The billing relationship exists between you and either the service, Apple, Google, Amazon, or Roku, depending on how you subscribed.

• If you deleted the app because you thought it would stop billing, check your bank or credit card statement for the most recent charge. The company name on the charge tells you who is billing you. If it says Apple, go to Apple subscriptions. If it says Google, go to Google Play subscriptions. If it says the service name directly, go to the service's website. Cancel the subscription there, then check back after the next billing date to confirm no new charge appeared.

• Some people delete the app and also delete their account, but still get charged. This happens when Apple or Google manages the billing. Deleting your account on the service's site removes your profile data, but Apple or Google may keep billing you because the subscription agreement is with them, not with the service. Always cancel the subscription before deleting the account. If you already deleted the account and are still being billed by Apple or Google, cancel the subscription through their subscription management screen.