Subscription creep is real. You sign up for a free trial, forget to cancel, and suddenly you've been paying for an app you haven't opened in months. Multiply that by a few apps and you could be losing a surprising amount of money each month without even realising it.
The average smartphone user has more active subscriptions than they think, and many of those are quietly renewing through the App Store. This guide will help you find every subscription tied to your Apple ID, work out which ones you're actually using, and cancel the rest.
The Subscription Creep Problem
It usually starts innocently enough. A fitness app offers a 7-day free trial. A photo editor has a "first month free" deal. A meditation app seems worth trying for a few weeks. Each one on its own costs just a few pounds a month -- hardly worth worrying about.
But here's the thing: those small charges add up. Three forgotten subscriptions at five pounds each means you're spending one hundred and eighty pounds a year on apps you never use. And because the charges happen automatically, there's no moment where you actively decide to keep paying.
How to Find All Your Active Subscriptions
Apple makes it reasonably straightforward to see your active subscriptions, though the exact steps depend on your device.
On iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings.
- Tap your name at the top of the screen.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- You'll see a list of all active and expired subscriptions.
On Mac
- Open the App Store.
- Click your name or account icon in the bottom-left corner.
- Click Account Settings.
- Scroll down to the Subscriptions section and click Manage.
On the Web
- Go to appleid.apple.com and sign in.
- Navigate to the Subscriptions section.
Take a moment to look through the list. If you're like most people, there will be at least one or two that make you think, "I'm still paying for that?"
How to Identify Subscriptions You're Not Using
Finding your subscriptions is one thing. Deciding which to keep is another. Here are some questions to ask yourself for each one:
- When did I last open this app? If you can't remember, that's a strong signal.
- Could I get by with the free version? Many apps offer a perfectly usable free tier.
- Is there a cheaper alternative? Competition in the App Store means there usually is.
- Am I paying for overlapping services? Two note-taking apps or two cloud storage plans, for example.
- Does this still fit my life? The language-learning app you started during lockdown might not match your priorities now.
How to Cancel Subscriptions
On iPhone or iPad
- Go to Settings and tap your name, then Subscriptions.
- Tap the subscription you want to cancel.
- Tap Cancel Subscription.
- Confirm when prompted.
Your subscription will remain active until the end of the current billing period. You won't be charged again after that.
On Mac
- Open the App Store and go to Account Settings.
- Find the subscription under Manage in the Subscriptions section.
- Click Edit next to the subscription.
- Click Cancel Subscription.
Important Notes
- Cancelling stops future charges. You'll still have access until your current period ends.
- If you don't see a Cancel option, the subscription may have already been cancelled or it might be managed through a third party rather than Apple.
- Some subscriptions bill annually, so check whether you're due for a big renewal soon.
See How Much Each Subscription Has Really Cost You
Cancelling unused subscriptions is a great start, but do you know how much they've already cost you? Apple's subscription management screen shows your current plan and price, but it doesn't tell you the total amount you've paid over time.
This is where iSpent comes in. By exporting your full Apple purchase history from reportaproblem.apple.com, you can see every single charge for each subscription. Open the data in a spreadsheet and you can:
- Filter by app name to see every charge from a specific subscription
- Sum the total to find out exactly how much that app has cost you over its lifetime
- Compare subscriptions side by side to see where your money is really going
- Spot price increases that you might not have noticed
Seeing the cumulative cost of a subscription in black and white is often the push people need to finally hit that cancel button.
Tips for Better Subscription Management
Once you've done your cleanup, here are some habits to stop subscription creep from coming back:
- Set calendar reminders for free trial end dates. Cancel before you're charged if you don't want to continue.
- Review quarterly. Put a reminder in your calendar every three months to check your active subscriptions.
- Use Apple's built-in notifications. Apple can notify you before a subscription renews -- make sure this is turned on in your notification settings.
- Be sceptical of free trials. If an app requires your payment details for a "free" trial, assume you'll forget to cancel and decide if you'd be happy paying.
- Consider annual plans for apps you definitely use. They're usually cheaper than paying monthly, but only commit if you're certain you'll use the app all year.
Take Back Control of Your Subscriptions
Want to see exactly how much your subscriptions have cost you?
iSpent exports your full Apple purchase history so you can see every charge, every subscription, and your total spending. Find out what you're really paying for.