New Users Can No Longer Subscribe to Disney+ and Hulu Through the Apple App Store

In a bid to avoid Apple’s fee on chargers for in-app purchases, Disney is no longer allowing users to sign up for Disney+ and Hulu via Apple’s App Store.

Instead, users attempting to sign up for either streaming service are now required to subscribe directly through Disney websites.

Photo: Disney

The change was made to allow Disney to bypass the 30% fee that Apple charges for in-app purchases and new subscriptions made through the Apple Store.

The Downside For Users

While the change will save Disney money on the margins, it will have some negative repercussions for users. For starters, users will no longer be able to subscribe through the app store or manage their subscription through Apple.

Disney+ on App Store is seen in this illustration photo taken in Poland on June 29, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Perhaps more importantly, however, according to PCMag, since Disney+ and Hulu no longer support in-app purchases, Apple will likely remove them from its Video Partner Program.

Photo: Also Disney+

That means streaming services will no longer be integrated with Siri, Airplay, Universal Search, and other Apple features.

Existing Subscribers Will Not Be Affected

Disney is just the latest company to take measures to avoid Apple’s in-app purchase fees. In 2019, Netflix was the first streamer to redirect users to its website to avoid what is commonly called the “Apple tax.”

Photo: Netflix

While Disney streaming users can no longer purchase subscriptions through Apple, existing Apple-billed subscribers will be unaffected. According to the Disney+ and Hulu websites, those users will continue to be billed through Apple and can manage their accounts through Apple Subscriptions.