How to Cancel a YouTube Membership (Step-by-Step Guide)
YouTube memberships — whether that's YouTube Premium, a channel membership, or both — are easy to forget about and sometimes tricky to find when you want to cancel. The process varies depending on how you originally signed up and which device you're using, which is why so many people end up confused when they go looking for the cancel button.
Here's exactly how it works.
Understanding What You're Canceling
Before diving into steps, it helps to know that "YouTube membership" can mean two different things:
- YouTube Premium — a paid subscription that removes ads, enables background play, and includes YouTube Music
- Channel Memberships — monthly payments made directly to individual creators in exchange for perks like badges, emojis, or exclusive content
The cancellation process is similar for both, but they're managed in separate places. You may also have both active at the same time without realizing it.
How to Cancel YouTube Premium
On Desktop (Browser)
- Go to youtube.com and sign in
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner
- Select "Paid memberships" (or go directly to youtube.com/paid_memberships)
- Find YouTube Premium in the list
- Click "Manage"
- Select "Deactivate membership"
- Follow the prompts to confirm cancellation
On Android
- Open the YouTube app
- Tap your profile picture
- Tap "Paid memberships"
- Select YouTube Premium → Manage
- Tap "Cancel membership" and confirm
On iPhone or iPad 🍎
This is where it gets important: if you subscribed through the App Store, you cannot cancel through the YouTube app. Apple controls that billing relationship.
To cancel in that case:
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Tap your Apple ID / name at the top
- Go to Subscriptions
- Find YouTube Premium and tap it
- Tap "Cancel Subscription"
If you don't see YouTube Premium listed under Apple subscriptions, then you subscribed directly through Google and should cancel through the YouTube app or website instead.
How to Cancel a Channel Membership
Channel memberships are separate from YouTube Premium and need to be canceled individually — canceling one doesn't affect the other.
On Desktop
- Sign in and click your profile picture
- Select "Paid memberships"
- Find the channel membership you want to cancel
- Click "Manage" next to that channel
- Select "Cancel membership"
On Mobile
The steps are the same through the YouTube app — go to profile picture → Paid memberships, then find the specific channel and cancel from there.
If you have multiple channel memberships, each one must be canceled separately. There's no bulk cancel option.
What Happens After You Cancel
Cancellation doesn't end access immediately. Here's what to expect:
| Membership Type | Access After Cancellation |
|---|---|
| YouTube Premium | Continues until the end of your current billing period |
| Channel Membership | Continues until the end of the current billing cycle |
| App Store Billing | Managed by Apple; same end-of-period rule applies |
You won't receive a prorated refund for unused time in most cases. Google's general policy is that canceled memberships remain active through the paid period and then expire.
Common Reasons Cancellation Gets Confusing
You can't find the option in the app. This usually means you subscribed through a different platform. Check both Apple Subscriptions and Google Play subscriptions if the YouTube app isn't showing a cancel option.
You have multiple Google accounts. YouTube memberships are tied to a specific Google account. If you're signed into the wrong one, you won't see the membership. Try switching accounts from the profile menu.
The membership shows as "active" even after canceling. This is normal — it means the cancellation was processed but access continues until the billing period ends.
You were part of a free trial. If you signed up for a free trial and want to avoid being charged, you need to cancel before the trial period ends. The same cancellation steps apply.
The Variables That Affect Your Situation 🔍
How straightforward this is depends on a few factors specific to you:
- Which platform you used to sign up — Google Play, Apple App Store, or directly through Google's website each routes billing differently
- Which device you're currently using — cancellation through iOS requires going outside the YouTube app entirely
- How many memberships you have — multiple channel memberships each need individual cancellation
- Which Google account the membership is under — if you manage multiple accounts, you'll need to confirm which one holds the active subscription
The right path forward depends on exactly how your membership was set up, which device you're on, and whether you're dealing with Premium, a channel membership, or both at once.