How to Easily Cancel a Preorder on iTunes

iPhone & iPod

Updated April 17, 2019

It's really convenient pre-ordering a much-anticipated movie, game, or music album on iTunes, but what about when you change your mind? In a few simple steps, you can cancel a pre-order with minimal hassle. Here's how to cancel an iTunes pre-order on your PC/Mac or your iPhone or iPad.

Things to Consider

Make sure you cancel the pre-order before the item comes out. If you leave it too late and the movie or album has already been released, you'll still have to pay. The earlier, the better.
When pre-ordering, the money isn't taken from your payment method until the item comes out, so there's no need to wait for a refund.
In the case of a music album or TV show, you may have to pay for some of the release. If some of the music tracks or earlier episodes have already been released, you'll need to pay for these items as you've already downloaded them. For movies or games, this isn't an issue.

How to Cancel Your Pre-Order on iPhone

Canceling a pre-order on your iPhone is great for when you're on the move. Here's how to do it.

This method also works on iPad and the iPod touch.

Open Settings, tap your username/Apple ID, then tap iTunes & App Store.
Tap your Apple ID, then tap View Apple ID.

If you haven't signed in recently, you may need to enter your password or use Face ID or Touch ID to log in.
Scroll down and tap Pre-Orders.

Don't see that option? You don't have any pre-orders on your account.
Tap the name of the item you want to cancel.

You can also browse other details about the item, such as its expected release date.
Tap Cancel.
Tap Yes.
Congratulations! You've successfully canceled your pre-order!

How to Cancel Your iTunes Pre-Order on PC or Mac

Canceling pre-orders on your PC or Mac requires you to have iTunes installed.

This method works for any PC or Mac with iTunes installed.

Open iTunes.
Select Account.

You may need to sign in by entering your password here.
Scroll down to the Settings section.

If there's no option for pre-orders, you don't currently have any pre-orders on your account.
Select Manage Pre-Orders.
Find the item you wish to cancel, then select Cancel.

You can also select the name of the movie or album to learn more about it.
Select Yes.
You've successfully cancelled your pre-order.