Cancel YouTube Premium the easy way

Service summary

YouTube Premium is a paid membership that removes ads on YouTube, enables background play and downloads, and includes YouTube Music Premium. The service is offered by YouTube, part of Alphabet, and targets people who want uninterrupted video and music across devices.

Key features

Primary features include ad-free YouTube, background playback on mobile, offline downloads for video and audio, and access to YouTube Music Premium. Students must verify status to access the Student price.

Company facts

For official terms for paid services see the YouTube paid service terms https://www.youtube.com/t/terms_paidservice.

Cancel on the web

1. Open YouTube in your browser and sign in.
2. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
3. Choose "Paid memberships".
4. Find the YouTube Premium membership and click "Manage" then "Cancel membership".
5. Follow prompts: "Continue to cancel", select a reason, then "Yes, cancel". Keep a screenshot of the confirmation.

Cancel on Android

1. Open the YouTube app and sign in.
2. Tap your profile picture, then "Paid memberships".
3. Select the Premium membership and tap "Manage" then "Cancel membership".
4. Follow prompts and save a screenshot of the confirmation.

Cancel on iOS (if billed by Apple)

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your Apple ID at the top, then "Subscriptions".
3. Find YouTube or YouTube Premium and tap "Cancel Subscription".
4. Save Apple’s confirmation email or App Store screenshot. If you need a refund, contact Apple support.

Cancel via Google Play billing

1. Open the Google Play Store app and tap your profile.
2. Tap "Payments & subscriptions" then "Subscriptions".
3. Select YouTube Premium and tap "Cancel subscription".
4. Keep a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation.

Cancel by post

1. Write a letter stating your account email, intent to cancel, and request confirmation.
2. Send by registered post to: YouTube Premium, 901 Cherry Ave, 94066 San Bruno, USA.
3. Retain the postal receipt as proof of dispatch.

Note: If your subscription is billed through Apple or Google Play, you must cancel through the billing provider rather than YouTube's web flow. You can pause and resume a membership unless billed by Google Play, where only cancel and re-subscribe are allowed.

Moving / change of residence

If you move residence this does not by itself create an automatic right to immediate refund from YouTube Premium. You may cancel and benefits continue until the end of the billing period. Keep proof of address change if you need to show a household requirement for a family plan. Applicable law where relevant: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 cooling-off rules for online contracts.

Price increase

If YouTube increases the subscription price, you may cancel. YouTube's terms allow cancellation ahead of the next billing period. Keep the price-change notice and your cancellation confirmation. Legal reference: Consumer Rights Act 2015 on unfair contract terms and the CMA guidance on automatic renewals.

Death of subscriber

In the event of the subscriber's death, contact YouTube support with proof such as a death certificate and account access documentation. YouTube's support may cancel the membership and consider a refund under their policies when documentary proof is provided.

Legitimate ground accepted by YouTube Premium

Research shows YouTube accepts technical failures or defective paid services as grounds for refund. Keep screenshots and support correspondence. See YouTube paid service terms https://www.youtube.com/t/terms_paidservice.

End of commitment

YouTube Premium has no minimum commitment; you may cancel at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period and stops auto-renewal.

Cooling-off period

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 you have a 14-day cooling-off right for online purchases, unless you expressly consent to immediate supply of digital content and waive the right. Streaming access that begins immediately may extinguish the 14-day right. See UK law text https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/13/part/4/chapter/2/crossheading/coolingoff-rights/2024-05-24/data.html.

Before you cancel: negotiate

YouTube sometimes offers retention options, but research found no published standard retention discounts for UK customers. To ask for a retention offer, contact YouTube support through the account Help > Get support flow and explain why you want to leave; request any available offer or trial extension. If billed by Apple or Google Play, ask the billing provider about available options.

What cancelling saves you

Compute yearly savings from current UK prices: Individual plan: £12.99 x 12 = £155.88 per year. Family plan: £22.99 x 12 = £275.88 per year. Student plan: £7.99 x 12 = £95.88 per year. YouTube Music only: £10.99 x 12 = £131.88 per year.

Cheapest real alternative from competitors in research: Apple Music at £10.99 per month. Yearly cost: £10.99 x 12 = £131.88 per year. Savings example: Cancelling an Individual YouTube Premium subscription (£155.88 per year) and switching to Apple Music (£131.88 per year) saves £24.00 per year.

Key UK consumer law

Relevant laws and regulators: Consumer Rights Act 2015; Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013; Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). These laws require services to be performed with reasonable care and skill and protect consumers against unfair contract terms.

Cooling-off and refunds

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 provide a 14-day cooling-off period for most online contracts, with exceptions for digital content supplied immediately when you gave express consent and waived the right. YouTube's paid service terms describe the standard refund rules; see https://www.youtube.com/t/terms_paidservice.

Hard-to-cancel subscriptions

The CMA treats hard-to-cancel renewals and unclear auto-renewal terms as potential unfair practices. If YouTube's renewal or cancellation terms are unclear, complain to the trader first and then seek help from Citizens Advice or escalate to the CMA.

How to escalate

First complain to YouTube via account Help. If unresolved, contact Citizens Advice for next steps. For payment disputes, contact your card issuer to request a chargeback or Section 75 claim where applicable. If a statutory right to a refund applies, cite Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and Consumer Rights Act 2015 when escalating.

Access after cancellation

After cancellation your benefits remain until the end of the billing period shown in your account. You will not be charged again after cancellation.

Data and downloads

Downloaded videos or audio may become unavailable once your Premium benefits expire. Export or back up any personal data you need before the end of the billing period.

Final billing and refunds

Standard policy: cancelling stops auto-renewal and does not refund the remaining days in the billing period. For exceptions where the service is defective, a refund may be available under YouTube's terms. For purchases billed by Apple, contact Apple for refunds. See YouTube paid service terms https://www.youtube.com/t/terms_paidservice.

Re-activation

You can re-subscribe at any time. If you paused a subscription (allowed except when billed by Google Play), restore it from Paid memberships in your account. If you cancelled through Google Play, you must re-subscribe via Google Play.

Use the checklist below to finish cancellation cleanly.

• Confirm which billing provider charged you - YouTube web, Google Play or Apple.
• Cancel in the correct place: YouTube web/Android for web billing, Apple subscriptions for iOS billing, Google Play for Play billing.
• Take a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation and save any confirmation emails.
• Check your next bank/card statement to ensure no further renewals are charged.
• Export any playlists or data you want to keep before benefits expire.
• If you need a refund for a defective service, gather evidence and contact support citing the issue and dates.
• If unresolved, contact Citizens Advice or your card issuer for chargeback/Section 75 options.