New users considering canceling a YouTube TV free trial might want to wait until the very last minute to do so. While there’s nothing stopping the subscription from being canceled at any time during the free trial, users will instantly lose access to all of the live TV channels, on demand content and cloud DVR recordings.
With so many switching to streaming live TV over the internet for the first time, there’s going to be somewhat of a learning curve for many consumers. Of the options currently available, YouTube TV has become one of the more popular ones and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
One of the advantages of a service like YouTube TV is the ease of setting up. There’s nowhere to go, no number to call, and no need for any particular device, so long as the consumer has access to a YouTube TV supported device. Furthermore, with access to a free trial as well, there’s also no real cost involved to try the service either. However, that’s not to say the free trial is not without it’s limitations.
Understanding YouTube TV’s free trial
Canceling a YouTube TV free trial will immediately cancel all aspects of the service. As a result, the consumer will lose the ability to watch any of the live TV channels, on demand videos, and any recordings they have stored in their library. This is different to how YouTube TV approaches a regular subscription and with good reason.
When a new user transitions to a subscriber and makes a payment to YouTube TV, they are paying for the month ahead. As they have already paid for the service, they are entitled to access the live TV service for the remainder of the billing cycle. This is irrespective of whether they cancel the service or not.
In contrast, as the free trial is not paid for, YouTube TV is not obligated to continue to provide access to the service. In theory, YouTube TV could, but it doesn’t, and will immediately remove access when the consumer cancels their subscription. This is not just specific to YouTube TV, but fairly common among live TV streaming services in the US.
The right time to cancel a YouTube TV free trial
In reality, the right time to cancel YouTube TV is when the consumer knows they are not planning to pay for the service. However, if an individual or household wants to maximize access to the service, then they will want to aim to cancel as close to the end date of the free trial as possible.
When exactly is the right time after signing up will vary from user to user, depending on the length of the trial. Generally speaking, the standard YouTube TV free trial is seven days. However, YouTube TV routinely offers longer free periods with two weeks being one of the most common alternatives. Understanding how long the free trial is when signing up is important in ensuring the subscription is cancelled before it becomes a paid subscription.
If this information was missed when first signing up, it is possible to check the next billing date in the app’s settings of directly through the account section of the YouTube TV website. The date shown will be the date the payment is due, so users looking to maximize the service by canceling at the right time will want to cancel as close to the listed date, but not on the day itself.
Canceling a YouTube TV free trial summary
YouTube TV does not allow new users to continue watching live TV, on demand content, or any of their recordings once they have canceled the free trial. Due to this, timing matters when actually going through the process of canceling the subscription.
New users looking to maximize the experience will want to cancel as close to the end of the free trial as possible, but not on the day itself. As YouTube TV does not charge all subscribers at the start of a calendar month, coupled with the service’s tendency to offer varying free trial lengths, new users will want to check the exact date the free trial ends in the app or website’s settings, and then plan to cancel just before that date.
Read more: YouTube TV Subscribers Can Access These Apps For Free
Leave a Reply