How to Track Subscriptions on iPhone and Android in 2026

Tracking subscriptions on a phone should be easy. The platforms make it half-easy: they give you a clean list of the subscriptions they bill themselves, and they hide everything else. If you want a complete picture, you need to look beyond the built-in screens.

What Your Phone Already Shows You

iPhone: Settings → Subscriptions

On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions. This lists every subscription billed through your Apple Account. You can cancel, change plans, or see renewal dates here. It is the best place to start - but it only covers App Store purchases.

Android: Play Store → Subscriptions

On Android, open the Play Store, tap your profile, then Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions. Google Play also lets you pause payments for one to three months instead of cancelling. Again, this only covers subscriptions billed through Google Play.

What Your Phone Hides

Most people have more subscriptions billed outside the app stores than inside them. The following will never appear in Settings or the Play Store:

• Services you signed up for in a browser
• Software billed through Stripe, Paddle, or a company checkout
• Streaming services billed directly to your card
• PayPal automatic payments
• Gym memberships, insurance, and other direct debits
• Subscriptions started on a computer or another device

That is why a phone-only audit usually misses the subscriptions that cost the most - the ones you signed up for and forgot.

The Best Cross-Platform Trackers

If you use both iPhone and Android, or you want one list that works everywhere, a web-based tracker is the better choice. The best options for phone users are:

• Suprascribe: web-based, works as a PWA on iPhone and Android, email-based discovery, no bank linking
• Bobby: iOS-only, manual entry, polished interface
• Subby: mobile-only, manual entry, ad-supported unlimited free tier
• Rocket Money: cross-platform, but bank-linked and monthly fee

Suprascribe is the only one that gives you automatic discovery on both platforms without asking for your bank login. It installs from the browser like a native app and works whether your next phone is an iPhone or Android.

How to Set Up a Universal Tracker

1. Open the tracker in your phone browser
2. Add it to your home screen - on iPhone, tap Share then Add to Home Screen; on Android, use the install prompt in Chrome
3. Connect the email account where your receipts arrive, or add subscriptions manually
4. Review the list, set renewal reminders, and cancel anything unused

Once installed as a PWA, the tracker opens in its own window with an app icon and updates automatically. You get the convenience of an app without the store restrictions or commission fees.

Why Web-Based Beats Store-Locked

A tracker tied to the App Store or Google Play only knows what that store knows. A web-based tracker works from your inbox, which is the one place every subscription leaves a trace regardless of platform. It also moves with you when you switch phones.

Store-locked apps also tend to push subscriptions through the store, which adds a commission that gets passed on to you. Staying web-first is part of why Suprascribe can keep Pro as a one-time payment instead of a recurring subscription.

Keep the Phone Lists as a Backup

The built-in iPhone and Android subscription screens are still useful. Check them quarterly, especially after a free trial. But treat them as one source among several, not the full picture. Pair them with a universal tracker and an occasional bank-statement scan and you will catch almost everything.