How to cancel your McAfee subscription

Go to myaccount.mcafee.com, sign in, select Subscriptions, then Cancel next to the subscription, then Cancel Auto-Renewal. McAfee says to do it more than 30 days before the term expires. Your paid term stays. If Dell, Apple or Google Play bills you, that biller manages the renewal.

By the Subby team·Last updated November 9, 2026

Turn off auto-renewal in your McAfee account

This is the main route, and McAfee's own support article gives the steps. They are for "a McAfee subscription managed in My Account". McAfee uses turn off and cancel for the same thing here, no renewal for another term.

1. Go to myaccount.mcafee.com.
2. Sign in to your McAfee account.
3. Select Subscriptions.
4. Next to the subscription you don't want to renew automatically, select Cancel.
5. Scroll down and select Cancel Auto-Renewal.

Do it more than 30 days before the term ends

McAfee marks the deadline as important: "To avoid being charged for your next renewal, turn off auto-renewal more than 30 days before your subscription term expires."

The date that counts is the day your term expires, not the day a charge lands. Count back more than 30 days from it and switch auto-renewal off by then. Missed it? The article doesn't say what happens, so see the renewal charge section below.

What happens after you turn it off

• Your term stays. McAfee says "Your current paid subscription remains available for its existing subscription term."
• It ends there. "Your subscription won't automatically renew for another term." To keep McAfee after that, you would renew it yourself.
• Some benefits can go. "Some qualifying McAfee subscriptions include additional benefits while auto-renewal is turned on." Turning it off "can end your eligibility for those benefits." The article doesn't list which subscriptions qualify, so check what yours includes before you switch it off.

If you were already charged for a renewal

The steps above stop the next term. They don't undo a charge that already went through. McAfee says "If your subscription has already renewed and you need help with the renewal charge or a refund, contact McAfee Customer Service." The article gives no refund terms.

If Apple or Google Play made the charge, the refund request goes through them. Our refund guide covers both. If a charge keeps coming, stopping a recurring payment covers the card side.

If another provider bills you

McAfee adds a rule for this case: "If you purchased your subscription from a third party and McAfee doesn't bill you directly, manage auto-renewal with the provider that bills your subscription."

Not sure who that is? Apple's help page gives the test: "To find out which company bills you, check your bank or credit card statement." Our bank statement guide shows how to read the line.

If the plan came with a Dell PC

Dell says "McAfee products that are purchased from Dell can be selected to have a Standard or Auto-Renewal subscription." A Standard plan is managed with McAfee. Dell's article says to sign in at mcafee.com, select Account, then Auto-Renewal Settings, and turn auto-renewal off. If your screen differs, use the My Account steps above. An Auto-Renewal plan, which Dell says is only available for McAfee LiveSafe bought with a Dell computer, is managed with Dell:

1. Go to dell.com/support/software and select Sign In.
2. Sign in with the account associated with the auto-renewal subscription.
3. Under the Products tab, select the product name.
4. Under Type, select Manage my subscription.
5. Turn off automatic renewal, then select Save.

One catch: "Subscriptions no longer renewable by Dell must be managed directly through McAfee." If Dell's page doesn't list your plan, use the My Account steps.

If Apple bills you

A subscription billed by Apple sits in the list you use to cancel any subscription on iPhone:

1. Open Settings and tap your name.
2. Tap Subscriptions.
3. Tap the McAfee subscription.
4. Tap Cancel Subscription. You might need to scroll down to find it.

If Google Play bills you

Sign in to the Google Account that has the subscription, then:

1. On your Android device, go to subscriptions in Google Play.
2. Select the subscription you want to cancel.
3. Tap Cancel subscription.
4. Follow the instructions.

If it is missing, Google says it may be on a different account. The same list holds everything you pay for through Google Play.

The mistake that keeps you paying

Turning off renewal in one place while another one bills you, or uninstalling the software and calling it done. Google Play is explicit: "When you uninstall the app, your subscription won't cancel." McAfee's steps, like Dell's, happen in account settings, with no software removal. Switch the renewal off, then uninstall.

Undecided? Keep the cutoff date

If you may stay, note the expiry date and who bills it, and set a reminder for more than 30 days before it.