Canceling an app subscription on an iPhone can now take one more screen. Apple told developers on Wednesday that they can add "retention messages" to the cancellation flow, with text, an image or a special offer meant to keep you subscribed.

After you tap Cancel Subscription, the system can show a Confirm Cancellation page with a section labeled "From the developer." The page also shows the date your service would stop. You can still finish by tapping Cancel Subscription again, or tap Keep Subscription, according to Apple's developer documentation.

What the new screen can show

Apple describes four kinds of retention messages:

  • Text, which can include bullet points
  • Text with an image
  • A suggestion to switch to a different plan
  • A promotional offer to keep the service at a discounted price, on the same tier or a different one

Apple limits what that text can say. Its App Store Connect help page says the header and body can't mention discounts, promotional offers or specific prices such as "$9.99" or "one month free," because every subscriber sees the text, including people who don't qualify for an offer. App Review rejects messages that break that rule. Developers can describe what you would lose by canceling, as long as the statement is factual.

The offer itself shows up only for subscribers who qualify. A developer can require that you have paid for the subscription for a minimum length of time, and can set a waiting period before you can redeem the same offer again. Developers can set up as many as 10 retention messages per app, with one assigned to a subscription at a time. Developers who want to choose a message for each subscriber in real time can ask for access to a separate Retention Messaging API, which Apple lists as a pre-release.

How to cancel an iPhone subscription

To cancel on an iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, choose the subscription and tap Cancel Subscription, Apple Support says. The button can sit lower on the page, so scroll if you don't see it. A red expiration message, or no cancel button at all, means the subscription is already canceled.

A retention message does not cancel anything. That happens only when you tap Cancel Subscription on the confirmation page. Tapping Keep Subscription, or accepting an offer, keeps the subscription running.