How to pause or cancel YouTube TV

TL;DR

• Difficulty: 1/5
• Time estimate: 2 minutes

YouTube TV is $82.99/mo with no annual plan. Pause first, cancel second: a pause of up to 6 months keeps your DVR library and settings intact, which is exactly the hibernation pattern.

Step-by-step

Pause (recommended for the offseason):

1. Go to tv.youtube.com and sign in.
2. Profile icon → Settings → Membership.
3. Select Pause membership and choose a duration (up to 6 months).
4. Confirm. Billing stops; your library and settings wait for you.

Cancel outright:

1. Same path: tv.youtube.com → profile → Settings → Membership.
2. Select Cancel membership instead of pause.
3. YouTube will offer the pause again on the way out. Take it if your break is under 6 months.
4. Confirm the cancellation.

Billing-specific instructions:

• Billed through Apple or Google Play: Manage it in that app store (iPhone Settings → Subscriptions, or Play Store → Subscriptions). Pausing is not supported on third-party billing; it only works when billed directly by YouTube.

Traps to expect

• Canceling starts a 21-day DVR countdown: Your cloud DVR library is kept for 21 days after the membership ends, then deleted. Pausing preserves it. If you have recordings you care about, pause instead.
• The price only goes one way: YouTube TV has raised prices steadily since its $35 launch. Restarting later means restarting at whatever the price is then.
• Family sharing: Pausing or canceling affects everyone on your family group. Give them a heads-up.

After you pause or cancel

• You keep watching until the end of the current billing period.
• While paused, your recordings, favorites, and settings are kept for the pause duration.

Coming back

Resubscribe at tv.youtube.com; your paused membership can simply resume. Returning-subscriber promos appear from time to time, so check the signup page before you pay full price.

Last verified: September 20, 2026 (signed-out check of official pages; exact button labels can vary by account and region).

Sources:

• YouTube TV official site

Only pay for the months that matter. Plan your subscriptions with Dormant. If this guide saved you money, tip the developer.