The iPhone is a great device that's made even better thanks to an extensive library of apps and services, but with more and more moving to subscriptions, the charge from Apple at the end of the month might begin to get a little steep. So it's essential to periodically review subscriptions and reassess whether that funny face app or virtual platypus game is really something that needs to keep going month after month.

In the early days of the iPhone, Apple didn't have an App Store, and there were no services to subscribe to. Steve Jobs' original idea for the iPhone was to have developers build web apps that would run in the Safari browser. However, this soon proved to be an inadequate solution since developers wanted to access the full power of the device, and so the App Store was born. Initially, all apps were either free or available with a one-time purchase.

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In modern times, developers want to provide a great iPhone app experience that is continually updated at an affordable price while still making enough money to justify the time spent coding, debugging, getting approval in Apple's App Store, and promoting their app. Just like any other maker community, it can be a difficult challenge, and with that in mind, iPhone app subscriptions are often very easy to justify. The same is true of services, providing ongoing maintenance and support while expanding content and features. There is good value for the money. However, there is undoubtedly room to trim the cost with a careful review of subscriptions. Apple gives instructions for managing both app subscriptions as well as Apple services subscriptions.

Which iPhone Subscriptions To Cut

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The most challenging part of cutting back on iPhone subscriptions is figuring out where to start. There are a few strategies that might be useful. More expensive subscriptions might be a good way to trim quickly. However, those tend to be the most important ones. Work-related apps might have to stay, although replacements might be available. Unfortunately, there is no way to filter out subscription apps in the App Store. Free apps might have in-app purchases that are buyouts or they might be subscriptions. Apple is not terribly helpful in this regard, and it requires a fair amount of research to find replacement apps. A more straightforward method might be to simply identify which apps and games are rarely played and stop the subscription.

The same is true of services. Some Apple One and individual Apple service subscriptions offer good value, particularly if several family members have Apple devices as well. On the other hand, iCloud and the Photos app almost seem engineered to use up storage quickly. Nothing is compressed, and everything syncs. Google Photos offers both compression and optional manual syncing. Services that Apple doesn't provide might require in-app management or even going to a website to cancel or start a subscription. For streaming services, it might make sense to finish binging on a new series, then cancel the subscription and start again when more shows are added. By examining subscriptions with a critical eye and favoring cutting, at least temporarily, iPhone owners can save a significant amount of money every month.

Next: How To Easily Cancel App Subscriptions On iPhone

Source: Apple 1, 2