Here’s how to manage app subscriptions on Mac, because there are a couple of different ways to do it. This uses System Preferences.
app subscriptions
Apple News+ Now Available in Australia, UK
News+ is Apple’s new subscription service for news, and today it’s available for customers in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Apple News+ subscribers can access more than 150 publications in Apple News+, with a one month free trial available to test the service before having to pay the £9.99 (UK) or $14.99 (Australia) monthly fee.
Available magazines and publications in the UK include The Times and The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan UK, more.
Magazines and publications in Australia include The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, more.
Podcast App Pocket Casts Moves to a Subscription
Popular podcast app Pocket Casts is now free with an optional US$0.99/month or US$10/year subscription. The previous price was a one-time fee of US$3.99. Pocket Casts CEO Owen Grover told TechCrunch: “We understood pretty clearly that we were limiting our reach and limiting the number of users that could enjoy the quality and power of the app and the platform. It felt penny wise and pound foolish to continue to collect a few dollars at the top … We have the benefit of these owners who are supporting us in a way that allows us to grow our audience, habituate new listeners and deliver a pretty terrific user experience.” App Store: Pocket Casts – Free
Apple's Billing Grace Period Should Give You Peace of Mind
Apple is introducing Billing Grace Period as a way to improve the customer experience surrounding subscriptions.
Apple Arcade Early Access Program Suggests $5 Subscription
Apple employees have been using the Apple Arcade early access program this summer. An App Store API suggests the price will be US$5/month.
DoNotPay Can Manage Your Free Trials
A service called DoNotPay can manage your free trials. Sign up using its digital credit card number and you won’t be charged when the trial ends.
The Free Trial Card is a virtual credit card you can use to sign up for free trials of any service anonymously, instead of using your real credit card. When the free trial period ends, the card automatically declines to be charged, thus ending your free trial. You don’t have to remember to cancel anything. If you want, the app will also send an actual legal notice of cancellation to the service.
I’m interested to try this out. Currently I use a service called Privacy, which lets me generate virtual cards that I can lock to a certain merchant or money amount. The story by Wired is about free trials, but the app description sounds like it can do more, calling itself a “robot lawyer.”
iTunes to Apple Music in Catalina: What You Need to Know
The potentail for confusion in the macOS iTunes to Apple Music app transition in Catalina is great. Here are the facts.
New Feature Prevents Accidental Subscription Purchases
Apple added a new feature that helps prevent users from purchasing accidental subscriptions to apps. Now there is an extra confirmation step.
Apple Music vs Spotify, AI and Special Projects – TMO Daily Observations 2019-04-05
Andrew Orr and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Apple Music/Spotify subscriptions, and new hires in Special Projects.
How Apple News Affects Publishers
Great analysis as usual by Ben Thompson. He writes how the Apple News subscription might be good for certain publishers, and bad for others.
To that end, I am sure that a significant number of publications will sign up for Apple’s offering; clearly the company is confident enough to leak a date. And, frankly, many publications should: most publishers are already locked into the volume game when it comes to their editorial direction, and Apple News subscription payouts will be additive to the bottom line.
The main thing that concerns me is how revenue will be driven by clicks. I hope that Apple News doesn’t become a flood of yellow journalism.
Roku Channel Adds Premium Subscriptions
The Roku Channel is adding premium subscriptions to its streaming video service. The update adds support for over 25 subscriptions.
Chronicle is a Beautiful App That Gives You Bill Reminders
I recently started using Chronicle for bill reminders and I’m glad I found it. The app gives you a calendar view, along with a list of bills that you enter. Name the bill, add a category, amount, and due date, and forget about it. Plus, Chronicle syncs with the available Mac version via iCloud, so you can view and pay your bills everywhere. In addition to reminding you to pay your bills, Chronicle keeps track of all your payment history, including confirmation numbers, so you always have proof of payments. New to Chronicle is the Pro version. Available as an in-app purchase, Chronicle Pro gives you access to all new features of Chronicle as they are updated. Chronicle Pro is US$3.99/year and gives you features like Amount to Save, Intelligent Estimated Amount Due, and Forecast View. App Store: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
Apple News Subscription Service Could Launch Spring 2019
Apple is preparing to launch its Apple News subscription service, and it could happen in spring 2019. Not all publishers are on board though.
Report Shows Subscription App Market is Growing
A report from Liftoff called the Mobile App Engagement Index shows that the subscription app market is booming, up 32% since last year.
Developers Fill App Store With Scam Subscriptions
The App Store has been getting an influx of scam subscriptions. These apps that intentionally trick users into paying for subscriptions.
Coping with Subscription Apps - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-24
Adam Christianson from the Maccast and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about living with the subscription model for apps, plus they look at how SetApp may have found the right balance for developers and users.
Here are the 5 Apps from SetApp You Need on Your Mac
SetApp gets you more than 100 apps for your Mac for about $10 a month. Here are five you need on your Mac.
In a Special Meeting, Apple Encouraged App Subscriptions
Last year, over 30 software developers met in a luxury loft in New York. It was a meeting hosted by Apple about app subscriptions.
MoviePass Runs Out of Money, Now on the Fast Track to Crash-and-burn
MoviePass ran out of money over the weekend, is now blocking first-run movies, and we’re watching the company melt down in real time.
Chinese iPhone Knock-off, App Users and Subscription Pricing - TMO Daily Observations 2018-07-20
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at a knock-off iPhone from China, plus they discuss app pricing and the issues users have with subscription models.
Survey Says: iOS Users Hate App Subscriptions but Spend More Anyway
The data comes from a survey of 800 smartphone users in the U.S.
Apple Drops Texture Monthly Subscription Price to $9.99
Apple just dropped the subscription price for Texture Premium from US$14.99 to $9.99 per month. Texture the digital magazine subscription service Apple bought earlier this year. The price change is automatic so subscribers don’t need to do anything with their account to make it kick in. Apple told subscribers about the price drop via email, and Harry McCracken shared the news on Twitter.
Texture, now owned by Apple, just got cheaper. pic.twitter.com/lqEekkuDjU
— Harry McCracken (@harrymccracken) July 12, 2018
Deciphering Netflix's Ultra Subscription Tier - TMO Daily Observations 2018-07-05
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on what could be behind Netflix’s test program for a new high end subscription tier.
DC is Launching its Own Streaming Service Called DC Universe
DC is joining the exclusive streaming subscription game with its just announced DC Universe. The service is launching as a beta soon, and will be available on Apple TV and iOS.