How do I turn off auto renewal? Find the subscription in the account that bills you and stop the renewal before the next billing date. Some companies call that button Turn off auto-renew; Apple and Google call it Cancel Subscription. This guide shows how to turn off auto renew on each major channel, and explains when turning off auto-renewal is the same as cancelling and when it is not.
Turning off auto-renew vs cancelling
For most subscriptions, turning off auto-renewal means the plan runs to the end of the period you paid for and then stops. Cancelling sometimes means the same thing and sometimes means ending access now. The difference depends on who bills you:
| Where you pay | What the option is called | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | Cancel Subscription | Stops the renewal; Apple shows an expiration date |
| Google Play | Cancel subscription | Stops the renewal; you keep access for the time paid |
| Amazon digital subscriptions | Auto-Renew, or Cancel Subscription | Auto-Renew off stops the next charge; Cancel Subscription is a separate control |
| Roku | Turn off auto-renew | This is how Roku cancels; access lasts to the end of the billing cycle |
| PayPal | Cancel automatic payment | Stops PayPal paying, but usually not the subscription itself |
| Warehouse clubs | Remove Auto Renewal | The membership expires; cancelling is a separate step |
The rule of thumb: on Apple, Google Play and Roku, turning off auto-renew is cancelling. On Amazon, PayPal and many memberships, the two are separate, and you may need both.
How to turn off auto renewal by channel
Apple (iPhone, iPad and Mac)
Apple has no separate auto-renew switch. Apple’s steps are to open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, select the subscription and tap Cancel Subscription. On a Mac, open the App Store, click your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then find Subscriptions. Apple says that if there is no Cancel button, or you see an expiration message in red text, the subscription is already cancelled. Our App Store guide has every device.
Google Play
On Android, open your subscriptions in Google Play, select the subscription, tap Cancel subscription and follow the instructions. Google’s cancellation page explains what that means for renewal: you keep the subscription for the time you have already paid for, and it does not renew. A yearly plan bought on January 1 and cancelled on July 1 stays active until December 31. Some apps also offer Pause payments under Manage. See our Google Play guide and our Android guide.
Amazon
Amazon’s page on auto-renewal for digital subscriptions says subscriptions auto-renew at the end of the period unless you change your auto-renewal preferences in Your Memberships and Subscriptions, and that you can turn auto-renewal on or off at any time there. On its subscription management page, Amazon describes the steps:
- Go to Your Memberships and Subscriptions.
- Select Manage Subscription next to the subscription.
- Use the Auto-Renew option to stop the recurring charge before the renewal date, or choose Cancel Subscription under Advanced Controls.
Auto-Renew is available on select digital subscriptions only. Prime is handled from your Prime membership page instead; see our Amazon Prime guide.
Roku
For subscriptions billed by Roku, turning off auto-renew is the cancellation. Roku’s help page says to go to my.roku.com/subscriptions, choose the subscription under Active subscriptions, select Manage subscription and then Turn off auto-renew. You can do the same on the TV: press Home, highlight the app, press the Star button and choose Manage subscription. Roku says you keep access until your current billing cycle ends. Disney+, Hulu and Sling TV manage their own subscriptions even when Roku processes the charge. See our Roku guide.
PayPal
PayPal can stop paying a merchant, but that is not the same as turning off the merchant’s auto-renewal. PayPal’s instructions are to go to Settings, then Payments, then Automatic payments, select the merchant and cancel. PayPal warns that this “typically does not cancel the underlying subscription or contract with the service provider.” Turn off renewal with the merchant first, then cancel the automatic payment. Full steps: how to cancel subscriptions on PayPal.
Websites and memberships
For a subscription you bought on a company’s website, sign in and look under Account, Billing, Plan or Membership for an auto-renew setting or a cancel option. Our cancellation guides link to each service’s own page.
Memberships often treat auto-renewal and cancellation as two different things:
- Costco. Removing Auto Renewal lets the membership expire. Costco’s Auto Renewal page says to do it online at least two business days before the first day of your renewal month. Cancelling for a refund is done at a warehouse or through Member Services.
- Sam’s Club. Its terms and conditions state that cancelling enrollment in the Auto-renew Program is distinct from cancelling your Sam’s Club membership.
For gyms and clubs, see how to cancel a membership.
When to turn off auto renewal
Do it before the renewal date, with a margin. Each company sets its own cutoff:
- Apple asks you to cancel a free trial at least 24 hours before it ends.
- Costco asks for at least two business days before the first day of your renewal month.
- Sam’s Club says to cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date.
- Google, Amazon and Roku say to stop renewal before the renewal date or before a trial ends.
If you are within a free trial, the same applies; our guide to cancelling a free trial covers each store.
A renewal email is not a bill. The FTC’s guide to free trials, auto-renewals and subscriptions describes a renewal notice as “simply a reminder” of when the subscription expires. In California, the attorney general’s consumer alert on the Automatic Renewal Law says that for plans with an initial term of a year or longer, businesses must send notice at least 15 days but no more than 45 days before renewal, and that people who enrolled online must be able to cancel online.
Check that it worked
- Look for an end date. After you turn off renewal, the subscription should show an expiration date instead of a renewal date. Apple shows it in red.
- Keep the confirmation. Save the email or take a screenshot with the date.
- Watch the renewal date. Check your statement just after the date the plan would have renewed. If a charge still comes through, our refund guides cover asking for the money back, and how to stop automatic payments covers your card and bank.
Get a reminder before each renewal
Turning off auto-renewal is easy once you remember to do it. Subex, an Android app, helps with that part. You add each subscription by hand with its renewal date and choose a reminder 1 or 3 days before it. When the reminder arrives, you decide whether to keep the plan or open its step-by-step cancel guide. Subex does not change any setting with the company that bills you, and marking a plan cancelled in Subex does not stop the charge. Get Subex on Google Play.
FAQ
Does turning off auto-renew cancel my subscription?
On Apple, Google Play and Roku, yes: turning off renewal is how you cancel, and you keep access until the paid period ends. On Amazon, PayPal and many memberships, it is a separate step from cancelling, so check what the company says.
Will I lose access if I turn off auto-renewal?
Usually not until the end of the period you paid for. Google says a cancelled subscription stays active for the time already paid, and Roku says access lasts until the current billing cycle ends.
Can I turn auto-renew back on?
Usually. Amazon says you can turn auto-renewal on or off at any time in Your Memberships and Subscriptions, and Google Play offers a Resubscribe option for many cancelled subscriptions, though Google notes that some cannot be restarted that way.
Why can’t I find an auto-renew switch?
Apple and Google do not use one; the option is Cancel Subscription. If the subscription is not in your App Store or Google Play list at all, someone else bills it, so check your receipts and our guide to finding your subscriptions.