How to remove subscriptions from your YouTube channel
You can remove subscriptions from your YouTube channel in two ways: unsubscribe from channels you follow, or cancel a paid membership if you have one. Unsubscribing is instant and removes a channel from your subscription feed. Canceling a paid membership stops the recurring charge and removes the member badge, though you keep access until your current billing period ends.
The steps differ depending on whether you are removing a free subscription or a paid channel membership. Both take less than a minute and can be done on any device where you are signed into YouTube.
Key Takeaways
- Unsubscribing from a free channel removes it from your feed immediately and can be reversed by subscribing again at any time.
- Canceling a paid channel membership stops future charges but does not refund money already paid for the current billing period.
- You can manage subscriptions and memberships from your YouTube account settings or directly from a channel's page.
- YouTube does not charge a cancellation fee when you remove a paid membership.
Unsubscribe from a free YouTube channel
To remove a free subscription, go to the channel page and click the "Subscribed" button. It will change to "Subscribe," and the channel will no longer appear in your subscription feed. You can do this from a computer, phone, or tablet.
If you want to unsubscribe from multiple channels at once, use your subscription list. On a computer, click your profile picture in the top right, select "Subscriptions," then hover over any channel name and click the "Unsubscribe" button that appears. On a phone or tablet, tap your profile picture, go to "Subscriptions," and swipe left on a channel name (iPhone) or long-press it (Android) to unsubscribe.
Unsubscribing does not delete your watch history or remove videos you have already watched. You can resubscribe to the same channel at any time with no penalty.
Cancel a paid YouTube channel membership
Paid memberships are recurring charges that give you access to member-only content, custom badges, or other perks from a creator. To cancel one, sign into YouTube and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select "Paid memberships" from the menu.
Find the membership you want to cancel and click "Manage." Then click "Cancel membership." YouTube will ask you to confirm; click "Yes, cancel" to finish. The cancellation takes effect immediately, and you will not be charged again, but you keep access to member content through the end of your current billing period.
If you cancel a membership by mistake, you can resubscribe to it again. However, YouTube will not refund charges for the billing period you already paid for. If you believe you were charged in error, contact YouTube Support through your account settings.
Remove subscriptions from your subscription list on mobile
On an iPhone, open YouTube and tap your profile picture at the bottom right. Tap "Subscriptions," then find the channel you want to remove. Swipe left on the channel name, and a trash icon will appear; tap it to unsubscribe.
On Android, tap your profile picture, go to "Subscriptions," then long-press the channel name you want to remove. Tap "Unsubscribe" from the menu that appears. The channel will disappear from your list immediately.
If you have a paid membership on mobile, tap your profile picture, select "Paid memberships," find the membership, tap the three-dot menu next to it, and select "Cancel membership."
What happens when you remove a subscription
When you unsubscribe from a free channel, YouTube stops sending you notifications about new uploads from that creator. The channel no longer appears in your "Subscriptions" feed, and you will not see it in your recommendations unless you search for it directly.
Your watch history and any videos you have already liked or saved remain unchanged. The creator does not receive a notification that you unsubscribed, and your subscriber count on your own channel (if you have one) is not affected.
If you cancel a paid membership, the member badge disappears from your profile on that channel's page, and you lose access to member-only content after your billing period ends. The creator will see that you are no longer a member, but YouTube does not notify them of the cancellation.
Manage your subscriptions and memberships in account settings
You can also control your subscriptions through YouTube's account settings. Sign in, click your profile picture, and select "Settings." Go to "Subscriptions and notifications" to adjust how YouTube notifies you about new uploads from channels you follow.
From this menu, you can turn off notifications for specific channels without unsubscribing, or mute a channel so its videos do not appear in your feed. You can also set YouTube to notify you only for certain types of content from a channel, like premieres or uploads.
To see all your paid memberships in one place, go to your account settings, select "Paid memberships," and manage or cancel any of them from there. This is the same list you access from your profile picture menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo an unsubscribe?
Yes. Go to the channel page and click "Subscribe" to resubscribe. You will receive notifications about new uploads again, and the channel will return to your subscription feed. There is no waiting period or penalty for resubscribing.
Will the creator know I unsubscribed?
No. Creators can see their total subscriber count, but YouTube does not tell them which individual viewers subscribe or unsubscribe. Your unsubscribe is private.
What if I cancel a paid membership and want it back?
You can resubscribe to the membership at any time by going to the channel page and clicking "Join." You will be charged the membership price again starting with your next billing cycle. YouTube will not refund the previous billing period.
Do I lose my videos if I unsubscribe from a channel?
No. Unsubscribing only removes the channel from your subscription feed. Videos you have already watched, liked, or saved stay in your history and playlists. You can still find the channel by searching for it.
Can I cancel a membership without going to the channel page?
Yes. Sign into YouTube, click your profile picture, select "Paid memberships," find the membership you want to cancel, and click "Manage," then "Cancel membership." You do not need to visit the creator's channel page.