How to cancel a subscription on Google Play (Android)

Open the Play Store app, tap your profile icon in the top right, then Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions. Pick the subscription and tap Cancel subscription. You can do the same from a computer at play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions. Uninstalling the app does not cancel anything.

Cancel a subscription on Android, step by step

  1. Open the Play Store app on your phone.
  2. Tap the circle with your photo or initial in the top right corner.
  3. Tap Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
  4. Find the subscription and tap it.
  5. Tap Cancel subscription and go all the way through. Google may offer a discount or a pause along the way; you can skip those.

No phone at hand? Open play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions in any browser, sign in to your Google account and click Cancel subscription next to the one you want. Google’s own page: support.google.com. Menu names can differ a little between phones.

Why uninstalling the app does not cancel the subscription

The subscription is attached to your Google account, not to the app. Google says it plainly: uninstalling the app does not cancel a subscription. So if you deleted an app six months ago and the charges never stopped, you are far from alone. Cancel it with the steps above, then ask for the money already taken: how to get a refund from Google Play.

After you cancel, you keep access until the end of the period you already paid for. There are no new charges.

Subscription not showing in Google Play but still charged

First, check the account. If your phone has several Google accounts (work, an old one, a child’s), tap your profile icon in the Play Store and switch. A subscription only appears in the account that bought it.

If it is in none of your accounts, you most likely paid outside Google Play, on the company’s website: after a long questionnaire you were shown a price and asked for your card right in the browser. That subscription lives with that company, and you cancel it there. How to find the company and its cancel page: how to cancel a subscription you bought on a website. The company’s name is on your card statement: what is this charge on my card.

  • Google Play charges show the word Google on your statement (for example “GOOGLE *app name”). Any other name is another company.
  • Check your email. A Google Play receipt comes from a Google address. A receipt from a company under its own name means you paid on its website.
  • Ask your family. Someone may have subscribed from another phone using your card.

Canceling and getting a refund are separate steps

Canceling only stops future charges. To get money back you make a separate request: within 48 hours of the purchase Google itself reviews it; after that you write to the app developer. Details and deadlines: how to get a refund from the App Store or Google Play. If the company refuses, you can still ask your bank or card company to dispute the charge.

The whole plan for the first hour after an unexpected charge is in one place: charged for a subscription: what to do.

Common questions

Do I get money back if I cancel in the middle of the month?

Not automatically. You keep access until the paid period ends, then the charges stop. You can ask for a refund separately through Google Play or from the developer.

I canceled the subscription but was charged again

Check that the cancellation went all the way through (the subscription should show as ending in the list) and that it was not bought from another account. If both are fine and the charges continue, read: canceled but still being charged.

How do I see all my subscriptions on Android?

Play Store → your profile icon → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions. Or play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions in a browser. Subscriptions from websites are not listed there.

Can I pause a subscription instead of canceling?

For some apps Google offers a pause when you cancel. If you do not plan to come back, cancel outright: a pause ends, and the charges start again.

This is general information, not legal advice. Bank and app store rules change and differ from country to country, so check the steps in your bank’s app or with their support.