Canceling A TikTok Subscription: A Simple Guide

“Subscription” can mean several things, and some people call their TikTok account a subscription even though they didn’t pay for it.

If, for some reason, you no longer want to use your account, it’s easy to “cancel” it. The social media platform gives you two choices.

• You can deactivate your account, meaning it just sits idle unless or until you want to reactivate it.
• You can delete your account, meaning your TikTok username and content will disappear for good after 30 days.

Both options are available by going to your TikTok profile, opening the menu by tapping on the three horizontal bars at the top right of the screen, and then going to Settings and privacy > Account > Deactivate or delete account.

Most TikTok users, however, understand that the app doesn’t call their account a “subscription.” That word has a very different meaning on TikTok.

What Are TikTok Subscriptions?

It’s sometimes difficult to remember that TikTok is a relatively new social app. Facebook has been around since 2004, YouTube debuted in 2005, Twitter arrived the following year, and Instagram and Snapchat were launched in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

TikTok, though, wasn’t open for signups until late 2017 and didn’t become a mega-app until 2019, meaning it was late to the party — and it was one of the last social platforms to offer users multiple ways to monetize their accounts.

Subscriptions were a giant step forward. In 2022, popular TikTok Live streamers were given the opportunity to provide paying subscribers with exclusive Live shows and related content. The program was expanded in 2024, letting more content creators create subscription options for exclusive content outside of Live streams.

TikTok users have to subscribe separately to gain access to each creator’s exclusive content, and that can start to get expensive. Monthly subscription fees are set by the creators and can range between $2.99 and $99.99. People who spend a lot of time on the app and subscribe to all of their favorite influencers may find themselves paying hundreds of dollars each month.

Whether your spending is getting out of hand, one of your favorite streamers isn’t providing much new content, or you’ve simply lost interest in one or more of the creators you subscribe to, canceling one or more of those subscriptions is relatively easy to do. Here’s how it works.

How To Cancel a TikTok Subscription

You can cancel a sub either through the app or through the payment platform that processes the subscription.

Canceling a TikTok Subscription in the App

1. Open your TikTok profile by clicking on the “Profile” icon at the bottom right of the home screen.
2. Tap on the three horizontal lines at the top right of the profile page to open the profile menu.
3. Choose “Settings and privacy” from the popup that appears.
4. You’ll have to find the “Subscriptions” option, which can be located under different headings depending on the app version you’re using. Check under “Account” or “Privacy,” or if it’s not in either location, try clicking the “Balance” option on the profile menu.
5. You should see all of your subscriptions listed; you can choose to cancel one or more of them.

Canceling a TikTok Subscription Through the Payment Platform

Android phone users have their subscriptions processed through the Google Play Store; it’s the Apple App Store for those with iPhones or other iOS devices.

1. Open either the Google Play Store or App Store on your phone.
2. On Android, tap on the profile icon at the top right of the screen, and then go to Payments & Subscriptions > Subscriptions. On iOS phones, authenticate with your Apple ID and then choose “Subscriptions.”
3. Scroll down to find the TikTok sub that you want to cancel, click on it, and tap “Cancel Subscription.” Confirm your choice, and it’s done.

It’s important to remember that any canceled subscription will run until the end of the current billing cycle. You’ll still have access to the exclusive content you’ve paid for until the cycle is over — but you won’t get a refund for any time remaining on your sub.

Subscribing to a creator is a terrific way to support their work, but there’s no sense in continuing to pay a monthly fee if you’re no longer interested in their content. Pay attention to your active TikTok subscriptions; they can get out of hand if you’re not careful.