Apple Makes It Easier to Manage Subscriptions Via App Store in iOS

Apple has simplified the process of managing subscriptions in iOS. The path for accessing the subscription management tool has been significantly reduced and it can now be accessed easily in the App Store, bringing some relief to the users who found the process complicated earlier. The users can now manage their subscriptions directly by going to “Manage Subscriptions” that is now conveniently located on the main Account section of the App Store. The change is live on the iOS 12.1.4 stable build and we were able to verify the same. However several Twitter users claim to have seen the option in previous iOS versions as well, meaning it could be a slow server-side rollout.

Earlier, the iOS users had to delve relatively deeper by opening the App Store, tapping on the “View Apple ID” option and then scrolling down to the find the management tool, which then redirected them to a page where they could renew or cancel their subscriptions. But thanks to the change, the users just have to tap on the profile icon on the App Store and tap on “Manage Subscriptions” to access their subscriptions in one place. In addition to the stable iOS 12.1.4 build, the change is reportedly live on the iOS 12.2 beta build too as well as previous iOS versions for some users. It was spotted by Federico Viticci of MacStories, who later shared the screenshots on Twitter.

However, it appears that the alternative path for managing subscriptions via the Settings section is still the same multi-step process and has not been tweaked in the stable or the beta build of iOS. This means the users still have to go through options like “Apple ID”, “iTunes & App Store”, “View Apple ID” and then sail past the authentication stage to access the subscription page. It would definitely have been nice to simplify this path too, but the updated process via the App Store is at least easier now. 

It appears that Apple aims to make subscription management more convenient for users as the company gears up to launch its long-rumoured news subscription service as well as video streaming service next month. The Cupertino giant is reportedly planning to reveal details about the new subscription services at an event scheduled for March 25, 2019. But word is that Apple is facing heat from publishers over the company's alleged plan to pocket half of the revenue generated from the news subscription service.