How To Find Your Subscriptions on iPhone—A Concise Guide
With the growing popularity of subscription-based services—up 435% over the last decade—it is becoming increasingly important to keep track of your subscriptions. A 2022 C+R Research study found that 42% of Americans are unaware that they are subscribed to a service they no longer use, which costs them $133 more monthly.
The first step towards managing your Apple subscriptions on your iPhone is knowing how to find them. If you want to learn how to find your subscriptions on an iPhone, refer to this concise guide. You’ll also learn why it can sometimes be challenging to cancel subscriptions and how you can overcome these hurdles.
Please note that the information in this article was sourced in December 2023. Head to the official Apple website or contact a customer support representative for updates.
How To Find All Subscriptions on iPhone—A Quick Tutorial
You can follow the steps below to access all the subscriptions on your iPhone that you purchased from the Apple App Store:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap your name.
- Tap Subscriptions.
You'll find a list of all your active and expired subscriptions. Tap on a specific subscription to view its details, such as the expiration date, next billing date, and options to modify or cancel it. Note that if you have a Family Sharing plan and are the organizer, you'll also see subscriptions from other family members.
How To Manage Your Apple Subscriptions on Different iOS Devices
To manage your Apple subscriptions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, take the steps in the table below:
How To Find Subscriptions Not Managed Through the App Store
It's worth noting that not all subscriptions on your iPhone are managed through the App Store. Subscriptions you purchased from third-party apps such as NordVPN, Dropbox, and Shopify can be managed directly through their respective websites. You can access and manage these subscriptions by doing the following:
- Searching your email inbox for subscription confirmations or receipts
- Checking your credit card or bank statements for recurring charges
- Visiting the official website of the app/service you are subscribed to, signing in to your account, and managing your subscription from there
Alternatively, you can use a subscription management app that provides a centralized platform for managing all your subscriptions. Popular banks like Capital One offer built-in subscription management features in their e-banking mobile app. You can also explore options such as Rocket Money, Trim, and Mint—learn more about how they help locate subscriptions in the following section.
Subscription Management Apps—Find Subscriptions More Easily
Managing subscriptions scattered across different platforms can be time-consuming. To help streamline the process, subscription management apps come in handy by consolidating all your subscriptions in one place.
These apps sync your bank account and payment card data to identify recurring charges and display them in a clear, easy-to-read format. They also come with the following additional features:
- Notifications for upcoming subscription renewals
- Tracking your spending on subscriptions
- Bill negotiation services for discounts and better rates
- Ability to cancel subscriptions directly from the app
Keep in mind that some of these apps may charge a fee for cancellation services—it’s helpful to read up on their terms and conditions before signing up.
What You Should Know About Canceling Subscriptions
Most companies offer simple cancellation processes, but some may intentionally make the process challenging to prolong your payments. Common tactics these companies resort to include:
- Requiring you to speak to a customer service representative over the phone
- Asking you to mail in a physical letter
- Having unclear instructions to confuse and dissuade you from canceling
- Requiring in-person visits to cancel a subscription
If you miss a step in the cancellation process, you may end up paying for another month or year of services you don’t want. It's also not uncommon to successfully end your subscription and still incur unwarranted charges by accident.
While you can use a subscription management app, this method has its limitations. Subscription management apps require you to link your financial accounts. While most of these apps employ comprehensive security measures such as two-factor authentication (2FA), account encryption, and Antivirus software, some may not use adequate security measures. In such cases, there's a risk that your financial information could be compromised.
The best way to protect your funds from unwanted charges is to sign up for a Privacy Virtual Card and use it to pay for subscriptions. Connected to a real funding source, a virtual card adds an integral layer of security by masking your financial info with random card numbers at checkout. You also get more control over how much merchants can bill you if you opt for a robust virtual card provider like Privacy.
Privacy Virtual Cards—Greater Financial Control, Better Peace of Mind
Virtual cards by Privacy can help protect you from excessive subscription charges and potentially unauthorized transactions. Privacy is a BBB-accredited company that provides comprehensive security measures to protect your sensitive financial data, so you can connect your bank account or debit card information and generate virtual cards for various subscription services, including PlayStation Plus, Xfinity, and YouTube Premium.
Discover the types of Privacy Virtual Cards and how they work in the table below:
You can also set a spending limit and pause or close your Privacy Card without impacting the connected funding source. By setting a spending limit, you can protect your account against merchants intentionally or accidentally charging you through double billing, price hikes, or hidden fees. Privacy blocks all charges that exceed the preset limit.
When stopping subscriptions, you can pause or close the card you used to sign up—Privacy will decline all further charges to that card. This feature ensures no unwanted charges can sneak through during or after canceling your subscription.
Privacy—Simple and Convenient To Use
On top of secure, controlled online spending, Privacy also makes your transactions fast and seamless with the following additional features:
- Browser extension—Available on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, as well as Safari iOS for iPhone and iPad users, the Privacy Browser Extension autofills your virtual card details at checkout, so you don't have to reach for your wallet every time you shop.
- Mobile App—Install the Privacy mobile app on your Android or iOS device to generate virtual cards and manage your spending on the go.
Privacy Virtual Cards are accepted at most websites and merchants that accept U.S. Mastercard® and Visa® card payments. This includes subscriptions for Microsoft, Google, and other platforms, including:
- Entertainment services such as Philo, Xbox Game Pass, and Amazon Music
- News sources like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times
- Productivity tools such as LinkedIn Premium, Adobe, and NordVPN
Privacy Setup and Pricing
If you’re ready to take control of your subscriptions and streamline online spending, follow the steps below:
- Register
- Provide the information needed to verify your identity
- Add a funding source—debit card or bank account
- Request your Privacy Virtual Cards
You can choose from three plans as outlined in the table below:
