Apple Secretly Made It Easier to Cancel Pesky App Subscriptions

2 Min Read Published: Feb 13th, 2019

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Apple has quietly made it easier to find and manage iOS app subscriptions, according to a new report on Wednesday.

The change was first spotted by MacStories’ founder and editor Federico Viticci, who sent out a tweet today showing off the new subscription management location (shown below).

Previously, the subscription management pane was buried a bit deeper in an Account Settings menu. While it was still accessible via the Settings app or through the App Store, it took a couple more taps and a bit of know-how to get to.

How Can I Manage My App Subscriptions?

With the new location, you can now find and edit your active subscriptions by first opening the App Store app.
Then, tap your profile photo.
Finally, select the new Manage Subscriptions option.

Apple recently made a change (seems iOS 12.1.4 and 12.2 beta) to make it easier to manage subscriptions for iOS apps.

Now you just need to open the App Store, tap your profile, and choose 'Manage Subscriptions'. pic.twitter.com/4PtxvAQjTm
— Federico Viticci (@viticci) February 13, 2019

It isn’t exactly clear when Apple rolled out this change, however.

For one, the company didn’t announce it or include it in any of its recent release notes. And while Viticci notes that it appears to be present in iOS 12.1.4 and the iOS 12.4 betas, there are some other conflicting reports about its availability.

Some users suggest that the new Manage Subscriptions button was available in iOS 12.1, while just as many others report that the button hasn’t shown up for them in more recent iOS releases — including iOS 12.1.4. That could hint that the rollout is occurring gradually, but that’s just speculation at this point.

The change may be tied toward a larger push for subscription-based applications.

Back in April 2017, Apple reportedly met with a group of select app developers in an effort to push them toward subscription-based app business models. The ultimate goal of that endeavor is to create a “sustainable” revenue source for developers so they don’t have to resort to in-app advertising or single purchases.

It may also be part of a larger push toward a Services-based model for Apple itself. The company’s Services sector is widely expected to overtake the iPhone as its primary driver of growth. Apple is also reportedly working on a slew of new services, including an original TV and movie content platform and premium Apple News subscriptions.

According to a recent report, the first of those new services may be unveiled at an upcoming “subscription-focused” media event on March 25.