Apple recently introduced an easier way to manage subscriptions via the App Store, as spotted by MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci.
iPhone and iPad users running iOS 12.1.4 or iOS 12.2 beta can now simply open the App Store, select on their profile picture in the top-right corner, (It will say My Account for VoiceOver users), and select on Manage Subscriptions to view and edit App Store, Apple Music, and Apple News subscriptions.
Managing subscriptions previously required an extra step of selecting the box with your Apple ID name and email address via the App Store or Settings.
It’s not really the customer’s fault for being unaware of how the process works, as Apple had made getting to the subscription management screen far more difficult than it should be.
In iOS Settings, for example, you would have to click iTunes & App Store –> Apple ID: –> View Apple ID –> then scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen to find the hidden setting.
By comparison, Google Play put subscriptions in its top-level navigation with no scrolling or extra clicks required.
With the iOS update, when you now tap your profile icon in the App Store, “Manage Subscriptions” is right there — and it’s accessible without scrolling. That’s a huge help in making this critical feature more accessible.
Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t made a similar change to simplify the path to subscription management in iOS’s main Settings.
Apple will reportedly host a subscription-focused media event on Monday, March 25 at Steve Jobs Theater, where it is expected to announce its widely rumored subscription news service and perhaps its streaming movie and TV show service.
