To cancel your Xbox Live membership, sign in at account.microsoft.com, open your Xbox Game Pass subscription, and turn off recurring billing. Xbox Live Gold was retired in September 2023 and automatically converted to Xbox Game Pass Core, so the subscription you’re looking for now sits under the Game Pass name. The steps are the same whether you’re on Core, Standard, or Ultimate, and you can do it from a browser or straight from your console.
Before You Sign In
Have the email address and password for the Microsoft account tied to your Xbox profile ready. On a shared console, each person’s subscription is linked to their own Microsoft login, so confirm you’re signed into the account that’s actually being charged. Your bank or card statement will show the amount, and you can match that against what’s listed on your account page.
Cancel From the Web
The browser route is the fastest for most people.
- Go to account.microsoft.com/services and sign in.
- Scroll to the Xbox Game Pass section.
- Click Manage next to your active subscription.
- Select Cancel subscription.
- Choose to turn off recurring billing, which keeps your access through the end of the current paid period.
- Select Confirm cancellation.
Turning off recurring billing is almost always the better choice over an immediate cancellation. You’ve already paid for the current cycle, so there’s no reason to give up access early. The subscription just stops renewing when the period ends.1Microsoft. Cancel Your Microsoft Subscription
Cancel From Your Xbox Console
You can do the same thing on an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One without ever opening a browser.
- Press the Xbox button on your controller, go to your profile, and open Settings.
- Select Account, then Subscriptions.
- Choose the Game Pass subscription you want to cancel.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to cancel or turn off recurring billing.
- Accept the summary screen to finish.
The console shows your next billing date and gives you the same choice between canceling immediately or just stopping the next renewal.2Xbox Support. Xbox Subscription Cancellations and Refunds
If You Were Billed Through Apple, Google, or Amazon
If you originally signed up through a third party like Apple, Google Play, or Amazon, neither Microsoft’s website nor your Xbox can stop the charge. You have to cancel through whichever platform is actually billing you. Check your receipts or bank statements; if the charge shows as “Apple” or “Google,” open the subscription management page on that service. Microsoft can’t shut off payments it isn’t processing.
What You Lose After Cancellation
Your access doesn’t vanish the moment you cancel. All Game Pass benefits stay active until the end of your current billing period. If you paid on June 5 and canceled on June 12, you keep access through roughly July 5. After that, the subscription status flips to expired, and online multiplayer through Game Pass along with the Game Pass library both become unavailable.1Microsoft. Cancel Your Microsoft Subscription
Game Pass Library Titles
Games you played through the Game Pass catalog stop working once your subscription ends. Those titles were on loan for the length of your membership. If you downloaded them, the files stay on your drive, but you’ll need to either resubscribe or buy the game outright to launch it again. Member discounts you used to purchase a game at a reduced price are permanent; those games stay in your library whether you’re subscribed or not.
Cloud Saves
Your saved game data in Xbox cloud saves is not deleted when your subscription lapses. If you resubscribe later or buy a game you’d previously been playing through Game Pass, your progress picks up where you left off. On PC, save compatibility can vary if you switch between the Xbox app version of a game and a copy bought from another storefront like Steam.
Games With Gold Titles
If you claimed free games through the old Games with Gold program before it ended in September 2023, the rules split by console generation. Xbox 360 titles you redeemed are yours permanently, regardless of subscription status. Xbox One titles you claimed through Games with Gold require an active Game Pass Core or Ultimate membership to keep playing.
Getting a Refund
Whether you get money back depends on where you live and when you cancel. In the United States and most countries, prorated refunds are not available. Refunds are most common when you cancel shortly after a purchase or a renewal charge, and Microsoft determines eligibility automatically during the cancellation flow. Not every cancellation qualifies.3Microsoft Support. Microsoft Subscription Refund Policy
Subscribers in some regions, including Canada, France, South Korea, and Turkey, can get a prorated refund when canceling at any time. The full list of eligible countries is on Microsoft’s refund policy page.3Microsoft Support. Microsoft Subscription Refund Policy
If a refund is approved, it typically appears on your original payment method within three to five business days.4Microsoft. Microsoft Store Refund and Return Policy
If You Can’t Sign In or Have a Past-Due Balance
The most common thing that blocks a cancellation is not being able to log in. If you’ve forgotten your password or lost access to the email on file, go to the sign-in page, select Forgot password, and follow the verification steps. If your usual verification methods don’t work, Microsoft can accept a 25-digit recovery code for accounts that previously generated one.5Microsoft. How to Get a Microsoft Account Recovery Code
If your subscription has a past-due balance from a failed payment, the account can be locked until you update your payment method and clear the outstanding charge. You can update payment information through the same account.microsoft.com portal. Once the balance is settled, the cancellation options open back up.6Xbox Support. Pay a Past-Due Balance to Unlock Your Subscription