How to Cancel YouTube Premium Family in 2026 (The $23/Month Nobody Agreed To)
Updated 2026-02-19 · 6 min read
📱 The Price Hike Pattern
YouTube Premium Family launched at $14.99/month. Then $17.99. Now $22.99/month ($275.88/year). Google has hiked the price 53% in 3 years while the features haven't changed. At this rate, it'll hit $30/month by 2027. Meanwhile, a free ad blocker does the main thing Premium sells: no ads.
YouTube Premium Family Pricing (2026)
Individual: $13.99/month ($167.88/year)
Family (up to 5 members): $22.99/month ($275.88/year)
Break-even: Family is worth it at 2+ members ($11.50/person vs $13.99 individual)
YouTube Music included: Both Premium tiers include YouTube Music Premium
How to Cancel
Cancel via YouTube
Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships
Click Manage membership
Click Deactivate → Continue to cancel
This cancels for ALL family members, not just you
Cancel via Apple
If billed through Apple: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → YouTube Premium → Cancel
Cancel via Google Play
Play Store → Profile → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → YouTube Premium → Cancel
⚠️ Family Manager Warning
Only the family manager (the person who set up the plan) can cancel. Family members can only leave the family group — they can't cancel the subscription. If you're a family member and want to stop, ask the manager to cancel, or leave the family group in your Google Account settings.
What Premium Actually Gives You
Let's be honest about what you're paying $276/year for:
No ads: The main feature. But ad blockers do this free.
Background play: Video plays with screen off. Firefox mobile does this free.
Offline downloads: Useful for flights. How often do you fly?
YouTube Music: Included but most people also have Spotify. Double-paying for music.
YouTube Originals: Mostly dead — Google stopped investing in original content.
Free Alternatives
uBlock Origin (browser extension): Free, blocks all YouTube ads on desktop
Brave Browser: Built-in ad blocker works on YouTube — free, available on mobile
Firefox mobile: Supports extensions including uBlock Origin — free ad-free YouTube on mobile
NewPipe (Android): Free, open-source YouTube client with no ads and background play
Invidious: Free, privacy-respecting YouTube frontend — no ads, no tracking
SponsorBlock extension: Free — auto-skips sponsored segments WITHIN videos (Premium can't do this)
The Music Double-Pay Check
YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music. Check if you're also paying for:
Spotify: $11.99-16.99/month — cancel one or the other
Apple Music: $10.99-16.99/month — same overlap
Amazon Music Unlimited: $9.99/month
Tidal: $10.99/month
Paying for Premium + any music service = $25-40/month for music
💡 The $276/Year Math
YouTube Premium Family costs $276/year. uBlock Origin (free) + SponsorBlock (free) + Firefox mobile (free) gives you no ads, no sponsor segments, and background play — for $0. The only thing you lose is offline downloads, which most people use 2-3 times per year on flights.
🔍 Google Subscription Stack
YouTube Premium + Google One + Google Workspace + Fitbit Premium + Nest Aware — Google charges add up across your family. Upload your bank statement to JustCancel to find every Google subscription.