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PSA: Don't Cancel Your Apple Arcade Free Trial Until the Last Possible Second

Sep 17, 2019 01:36 PM

Oct 17, 2019 10:29 PM

Sonic the Hedgehog on a smartphone screen promoting a subscription service.

Apple Arcade actually looks like a refreshing change of pace for subscription services. The platform costs just $4.99 a month and includes access to over 100 unique and exclusive games. That's not to mention the one-month free trial each new user can claim. But know this: you shouldn't cancel that free trial until you're ready to give up Apple Arcade.

Most free trials, whether they last one week or one month, work like this: sign up, provide credit card information, but can cancel at any time. If you cancel before your trial is over, you get to continue to use the service until that time expires, no strings attached. That's not how iOS 13's Apple Arcade works.

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The second you cancel your free trial for Apple Arcade, you lose access to the service instantly. It doesn't matter if you cancel a day before the trial ends or on your first day using the platform. You cancel, you're done. Reddit user alex_je_alex saw the fine print in the Edit Subscription page for Apple Arcade, which clearly states that your service will end immediately.

PSA: Don't Cancel Your Apple Arcade Free Trial Until the Last Possible Second

If you wanted to get the most out of an Apple Arcade trial, the way to do it would be sign up, set a reminder for 30 days in the future, then cancel the trial when the reminder goes off. If you did that on Day 1 of Apple Arcade availability (Sept. 19, 2019), you'd want to cancel on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019.

While undoubtedly frustrating, this policy is Apple's MO at this point. Both Apple Music and Apple News+ will end service after you cancel your free trial, in the same fashion as Apple Arcade. Before late-2018, you could cancel an Apple Music free trial and still use the service during the whole trial, but Apple switched to the new cancel-and-you're-done policy.

While Apple does warn you before you cancel, it's still a pain, considering the industry norm is to let your trial continue. Of course, you can always sign up for Apple Arcade after your trial expires. You'll just need to provide the $4.99 entry fee for at least one month's worth of gaming.

Cover image by Jake Peterson/Gadget Hacks; Screenshots by Justin Meyers/Gadget Hacks

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.