How to cancel Apple TV Plus after your free trial has ended

When Apple Inc. first elbowed its way into the VOD market with Apple TV Plus, customers who purchased a shiny new iPhone, iPad, or other eligible product were delighted to receive a year’s free access to the company’s new streaming platform. But given the 12-month Apple TV Plus free trial has lapsed and many customers are now paying full whack, a subscription might not seem so compelling and you may therefore be looking to cancel Apple TV Plus.

• Head to the Apple TV Plus website to check your options

Whether you’re underwhelmed by its slim library of content or you don’t have the cash to splash right now, this guide explains how to cancel Apple TV Plus, as well as what to watch before you well and truly pull the plug, and alternative streaming services worth subscribing to instead.

• Read more: our guide to the best TV streaming services

Wait! Before you cancel Apple TV Plus, here’s everything you could watch

The Morning Show and Ted Lasso are the platform’s flagship series and two of the best Apple TV Plus shows, having bagged dozens of awards between them. The former is a drama about the cut-throat world of TV broadcasting starring Jennifer Anniston and Reece Witherspoon (season three arrives later this year), while Ted Lasso won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, in addition to the hearts of viewers around the world.

Severance, however, might be the platform’s first binge-worthy show: a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that’s garnered almost unanimously glowing reviews. And, if you’re looking for more spooky chills and mystery, you’ll be well served by Servant, a supernatural shocker from the mind of director M. Night Shyamalan and whose final season is due to arrive soon.

There's a delightfully idiosyncratic collection of titles here, with musical comedy Schmigadoon!, postmodern whodunnit The Afterparty, epic space saga Foundation and acclaimed spy thriller Tehran being just a small sample of its diversity.

Apple TV Plus has great new content on the horizon too. The star-studded dark comedy anthology Roar features Nicole Kidman and Cynthia Erivo, and will debut on April 15. Plus, while a release date hasn’t been announced, Martin Scorsese’s The Killers of the Flower Moon will stream exclusively on Apple TV Plus, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro among its glittering A-list cast.

Your step-by-step guide on how to cancel Apple TV Plus

It’s easy to cancel Apple TV Plus, and there are a few options. Follow the instructions below if you want to cancel Apple TV Plus via the web:

• Type or copy https://tv.apple.com/ into your web browser
• Sign In with your Apple ID
• Click on the Account icon in the top right
• Select the ‘Settings’ option
• Scroll down to the Subscriptions heading and click on ‘Manage’
• Click on 'Cancel Subscription'

Follow the below instructions, meanwhile, to cancel Apple TV Plus from an Apple device like an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

• Launch the Apple TV Plus app
• Tap the Account icon in the top right-hand corner
• Select your name in the Account section
• Scroll down and tap 'Subscriptions'
• Under the Active subheading, tap on the Apple TV Plus icon
• Select ‘Cancel Subscription’

What streaming service should I get now I’ve cancelled Apple TV Plus?

Now you’ve decided to cancel Apple TV Plus, you might be looking for a more suitable VOD platform. The ones we’ve listed below are available globally too, but have a far more comprehensive library of movies and TV shows.

Plus, if these VOD titans aren’t to your liking, there are brilliant alternative services you can pick from in specific regions, like HBO Max in North America, Crave in Canada, and Stan in Australia.

Prime Video from $14.99/£8.99/CA$7.99/AU$6.99pm
The online retailer’s VOD platform boasts over 13,000 titles: a treasure trove of classic movies and TV shows including The Usual Suspects, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Saving Private Ryan, My Week with Marilyn and The Prestige. Plus, cutting through the noise are some thrilling Amazon Originals. 

These include irreverent superhero drama The Boys, The Underground Railroad, and rom-com anthology series Modern Love. 

A full Amazon Prime Subscription cost includes free delivery, ad-free music streaming and lots of other perks. And, if you’re new to Amazon Prime or a returning customer, you can enjoy the entire Prime Video library and extra membership perks completely FREE for 30-days.

Disney Plus from $7.99/£7.99/CA$11.99/AU$11.99pm
Disney Plus offers five content hubs that provide something for everyone: all the hits from the Disney vaults, National Geographic documentaries, and Pixar animations. Then you have the complete MCU and Star Wars saga.

The Disney Plus price is great value for money, with 15% off annual plans. And it’s even better for international viewers who’ll receive extra, more mature (R-rated, TV-MA) content through the Star hub. 

There’s no free trial currently, but US customers can bag a bargain with the Disney Plus Bundle at $13.99 a month. The bundle includes Hulu, plus sports-focused content with ESPN Plus, and is significantly cheaper than subscribing to each platform individually.

Netflix from $9.99/£5.99/CA$9.99/AU$10.99pm
Home to around 2,000 TV series and 4,000 movies, a third of which are Netflix Originals. 

These include the acclaimed Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll, Bridgerton and Midnight Mass, international successes such as The Crown and Squid Game, in addition to Academy Award-nominated movies like this year’s Don’t Look Up and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical drama Tick Tick…Boom!

A Basic plan provides one stream in SD quality and costs $9.99 a month (£5.99 in the UK, CA$9.99 in Canada, and AU$10.99 in Australia). There’s no annual option though and no free trial available, but at least you can cancel at any time. 

Read more:

• Are you eligible for an Amazon Prime Video free trial?
• Discover the best Prime Video shows to watch
• How to install the Disney Plus app on your device