How to pause or cancel YouTube TV

Last verified (cancel steps): September 20, 2026.

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. To cancel outright, go to tv.youtube.com, open Settings then Membership, choose Cancel, and confirm. It takes about two minutes.

TL;DR

Difficulty: 1/5
Time estimate: 2 minutes

Pause for up to 6 months or cancel outright at tv.youtube.com in about two minutes. Pausing keeps your DVR library; canceling starts a 21-day countdown on it.

Step-by-step

Pause (recommended for the offseason):

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

Cancel outright:

Same path: tv.youtube.com → profile → Settings → Membership.
Select Cancel membership instead of pause.
YouTube will offer the pause again on the way out. Take it if your break is under 6 months.
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 $34.99 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.

Retention offers

YouTube TV's retention offer is the pause itself:

Pause up to 6 months: YouTube offers the pause again on the way out of a cancellation, and your recordings, favorites, and settings are kept for the pause duration. Verdict: take it if your break is under 6 months; cancel outright for longer breaks, since canceling starts a 21-day DVR countdown.

See what YouTube TV costs now →

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.

See what YouTube TV costs now →

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.

Quick answers

Straight answers to the questions people actually ask.

How much is YouTube TV now, and what happens after I pause or cancel?

YouTube TV's base plan costs $82.99/month, price verified October 14, 2026. After you cancel, you keep watching until the end of your billing period; if you pause instead, your recordings, favorites, and settings are kept for up to 6 months. The step-by-step above covers both paths.