Apple Launches Monthly Subscriptions With 12-Month Commitment

Apple has officially launched monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment for App Store apps. The new option is available alongside iOS 26.5 and to iOS 26.4 users as well. It was first announced by Apple last month.

The subscription functions as a hybrid of monthly and annual plans. It lets users pay in 12 monthly payments while receiving the discount benefit of an annual plan. This delivers the best rate without requiring a large upfront cost.

The option has launched everywhere around the world except the US and Singapore. Apple has published a new support document that answers key questions about the subscription plan.

According to the support document, when users subscribe they agree to complete all payments until the commitment is fulfilled. The document states: “When you subscribe to a monthly subscription with a 12-month commitment, you agree to complete all payments until your commitment is fulfilled.”

Users can cancel at any time during the commitment period. The support document states that canceling before the commitment ends does not end the payment commitment. Canceling early stops the plan from automatically renewing.

If a payment method does not go through, users might lose service access until payment is received. The document advises: “To avoid interruptions to your subscriptions and purchases, update your Apple Account payment method.”

When upgrading to a different plan during the 12-month commitment, users immediately switch to the new plan. They receive a prorated refund for any unused time in the current billing period. The commitment terms then adjust to reflect the new plan.

Third-party apps need to manually add this new subscription option. The rollout may therefore be slow at first.