Apple to Soon Let Users Fix Subscription Billing Issues Directly Within Apps

Apple will soon make it possible for users to fix App Store subscription payment issues within apps, rather than having to go into their device's Settings to make the necessary changes.

in app billing problem
Currently if a third-party app has an issue with an auto-renewing subscription – if the payment method is no longer valid, for example – users must exit out of the app and make the changes in the Apple ID section of the Settings app.

This system often forces users to take out the subscription again, which can cause them to lose any in-app discounts or introductory subscription offers. However, that's set to change. From Apple's announcement on its developer website:

Starting this summer, if an auto-renewable subscription doesn't renew due to a billing issue, a system-provided sheet appears in your app with a prompt that lets customers update their payment method for their Apple ID. No action is required to adopt this feature.

The new in-app system should make it easier for users to resolve payment issues, says Apple, meaning developers should be better able to retain subscribers and benefit from in-app purchases.

When it goes live in the summer, Apple says the in-app billing issue resolution sheet will require iPhones and iPads to be running a minimum of iOS 16.4 or iPadOS 16.4, respectively.

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Monday November 24, 2025 10:25 am PST by
Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production. Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the...

Top Rated Comments

ROF Avatar
34 months ago

Devil's advocate - ease of cancellation. How many companies make you go around the houses to cancel a subscription? Fine for you and I, not so fine for older people or the less tech-literate. For them, that safety net is worth a couple of quid more per month.
Absolutely!

And not just old people--it can be a massive time suck following the circuitous path many vendors have created to unsubscribe.

I was annoyed by the early iterations of Apple's subscription dashboard but I've come to really appreciate a single, easy-to-find spot to manage all subscriptions. For the one-off months of HBO or other streaming services, it's super convenient.

As long as Apple requires vendors to also keep unsubscribe option in Apple dashboard, I'm good.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OS X Dude Avatar
34 months ago

Seriously. Why would someone knowingly pay 30% more for something?
Devil's advocate - ease of cancellation. How many companies make you go around the houses to cancel a subscription? Fine for you and I, not so fine for older people or the less tech-literate. For them, that safety net is worth a couple of quid more per month.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DigitalAR Avatar
34 months ago
I recall when cancelling a subscription was hidden in the billing settings within the App Store.

And then it was moved into settings kinda hidden.

Now it’s easier to access. Much easier.

And now it’ll be even easier.

Which is great.

But this doesn’t solve the issue of unessessary loot boxes and spending.

Whatever. I just wanted to be first.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
compwiz1202 Avatar
34 months ago

Haha, I loathe SiriusXM and OnStar. For SiriusXM, I ended up switching my payment method to a VISA debit gift card...and then spent the money. For OnStar, I switched my payment method to PayPal...and then went into my PayPal account to remove it from there. OnStar finally just noticed my payment method no longer works after three-ish years (probably only because they had to change my plan after the 3G sunset).

On that note, does the Apple Card allow you to create several virtual numbers to give out, and be able to cancel/deactivate them when no longer needed? Sort of like Hide My Email, but for credit cards...
OnStar wasn't a problem for us, but Sirius is ridiculous. Somehow they finally canceled it after calls upon calls for hours. I wish they would pass the law in PA already that everything can be canceled online. I won't sub to anything where you need to call to cancel anymore.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
compwiz1202 Avatar
34 months ago

Devil's advocate - ease of cancellation. How many companies make you go around the houses to cancel a subscription? Fine for you and I, not so fine for older people or the less tech-literate. For them, that safety net is worth a couple of quid more per month.
*cough*SiriusXM*cough* And everything is in one place too, so you can just quick check subs.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Verified Whiskey Avatar
34 months ago
Another reason to use apps from the App Store.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)