How to cancel a Google Play Store subscription
You can cancel a Google Play Store subscription through your Google Play account settings on any device — phone, tablet, or computer. The process takes about two minutes and stops future charges immediately. Cancellation is final once you confirm it; you will not receive a refund for the current billing period unless the subscription terms or your payment method issue allow one.
Google does not charge a cancellation fee. Your access to the subscription content ends on the date your current billing cycle closes, not the moment you cancel. If you cancel mid-cycle, you keep access until that cycle ends.
Key Takeaways
- Cancel through Google Play Settings on your phone or through myaccount.google.com on a computer; both routes reach the same subscription list.
- Cancellation stops future charges but does not refund money already paid for the current billing period.
- Your access continues until your current billing cycle ends, even after you cancel.
- If you cancel within a few days of purchase, contact Google Play Support to request a refund of the full amount.
- Pausing a subscription (if the app offers it) stops charges without cancelling, so you can restart later without re-entering payment details.
Cancel on an Android phone or tablet
Open the Google Play Store app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Select Payments and subscriptions, then tap Subscriptions. Find the subscription you want to cancel and tap it. Tap Cancel subscription at the bottom of the screen, then confirm by tapping Cancel subscription again.
Google will ask why you are cancelling. You can skip this question or select a reason; your answer does not affect whether the cancellation goes through. After you confirm, you will see a message saying the subscription is cancelled, and you will receive a confirmation email at the address linked to your Google account.
Cancel on a computer
Go to myaccount.google.com in your web browser and sign in with the Google account that holds the subscription. Click Payments & subscriptions on the left side menu, then click Subscriptions. Find the subscription you want to cancel and click it. Click Cancel subscription, then confirm your choice.
The computer route works the same way as the phone route — you will see a confirmation message and receive an email. You do not need to cancel on the same device where you started the subscription; any device with access to that Google account will show all active subscriptions.
What happens after you cancel
Your subscription status changes to Cancelled in your Google Play account, and no further charges will appear on your payment method. You keep access to the subscription content until your current billing period ends. For example, if you cancel on the 15th of a month and your billing date is the 1st of each month, you have access until the 1st of the next month.
After your access ends, you can restart the same subscription at any time by going back to the app or the Google Play Store page and selecting it again. Restarting does not require you to re-enter your payment method if it is still saved to your Google account.
Refunds and disputes
Google Play does not automatically refund subscription charges for the current billing period. However, if you cancel within a few days of your purchase or first charge, you can request a refund through Google Play Support. Go to myaccount.google.com, click Payments & subscriptions, then Purchases. Find the subscription charge and click it. Click Report a problem and select I'd like a refund. Explain that you want to cancel and request a refund.
Google reviews refund requests and typically responds within a few business days. Approval is not may provide, especially if you have used the subscription for more than a few days. If Google denies your request and you believe the charge was wrong, you can also dispute it with your bank or credit card company.
Pause instead of cancel
Some apps offer a pause feature instead of cancellation. Pausing stops charges but keeps your subscription active, so you can restart it later without losing your account or re-entering payment details. Not all subscriptions have this option — it depends on what the app developer built.
To see if pause is available, go to the subscription details page (through Google Play Settings or myaccount.google.com) and look for a Pause subscription button. If it appears, you can pause for a set period, usually 1 to 3 months. When the pause ends, charges resume automatically unless you cancel before then.
If you cannot find the subscription to cancel
Subscriptions sometimes hide in your account if they are inactive or if you signed in with a different Google account. Check that you are signed into the correct Google account by looking at the profile icon in Google Play Settings. If you have multiple Google accounts, each one has its own subscription list.
If you still cannot find the subscription, it may have already been cancelled or it may be tied to a different payment method. Contact Google Play Support through myaccount.google.com by clicking Help & feedback and describing the subscription you are looking for. Provide the app name and the date you think you subscribed. Google can locate it and cancel it for you if it is still active.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get a refund if I cancel mid-cycle?
No, not automatically. You keep access until your billing cycle ends, but you will not receive money back for the unused portion. If you cancel within a few days of purchase, you can request a refund through Google Play Support, but approval is not may provide.
Can I cancel a subscription started on someone else's device?
Yes. As long as you have access to the Google account that owns the subscription, you can cancel it from any device. Sign into that Google account on your phone or computer and follow the cancellation steps.
What if the app no longer exists or was removed from the Play Store?
You can still cancel it through Google Play Settings or myaccount.google.com. The subscription list shows all active subscriptions regardless of whether the app is still available for download. If you have trouble, Google Play Support can cancel it for you.
Do I need to uninstall the app after I cancel?
No. Uninstalling the app does not cancel the subscription, and cancelling the subscription does not uninstall the app. You can keep the app on your device after cancelling, though you will lose access to paid features when your billing cycle ends.
Can I cancel a subscription that someone else started on my device?
Only if you have the password to their Google account. Each subscription is tied to the Google account that started it, not to the device. If someone else subscribed using their account on your device, they must cancel it from their own account, or you can contact Google Play Support with proof that you own the device.