T-Mobile is making a noticeable change to one of its more widely appreciated perks, and it’s something a lot of long-time customers might be processing with a bit of surprise. The company is ending its Apple TV On Us promotion for select premium plans, shifting the benefit from entirely free to a small paid add-on. Beginning January 1, 2026, customers who have been enjoying Apple TV at no cost will see a 3 dollar monthly charge if they choose to keep the subscription.
Key Takeaways
- The fully free Apple TV benefit, known as Apple TV On Us, ends January 1, 2026.
- Customers on premium plans will be charged 3 dollars per month for the service.
- The change affects users on plans like Go5G Plus, Magenta MAX, Magenta Plus, Experience More, and Experience Beyond.
- T-Mobile will continue to provide a 9.99 dollar monthly discount, covering the original price of the service.
- Customers can cancel the subscription before January 1, 2026, to avoid the new monthly fee.
The timing isn’t random. Earlier this year, Apple raised the price of its streaming service from 9.99 dollars to 12.99 dollars per month. T-Mobile isn’t fully absorbing that bump; instead, it’s continuing to cover the original 9.99 dollars and passing the remaining 3 dollars to subscribers. It’s a minor fee compared to the full price, but still, I imagine some customers might take a moment to decide whether they actually use the service enough to keep it.
The Apple TV On Us offer first appeared in 2021 for high-tier plans like Magenta MAX, and it eventually spread to newer plans such as Go5G Plus. It fitted neatly into T-Mobile’s Un-carrier approach, where the company bundled entertainment or travel perks to make its plans feel a bit more generous. With roughly 140 million customers across the country, even a small change like this touches a wide group of people who may have become accustomed to the perk as part of their monthly bill.
Why the Price is Changing
The adjustment follows Apple’s decision in August 2025 to raise the cost of Apple TV from 9.99 dollars to 12.99 dollars per month. The service includes Apple Originals like The Morning Show and Severance, and while the catalog keeps growing, price bumps rarely land quietly with consumers. T-Mobile, which is part of Deutsche Telekom, opted not to shoulder the entire new cost. Instead, it will keep providing a 9.99 dollar credit and leave subscribers responsible for the remaining difference.
Customers who pay for their Apple TV subscription through T-Mobile without the On Us promotion will also notice an increase. Their monthly charge will shift from 9.99 dollars to 12.99 dollars on January 1, 2026, essentially mirroring Apple’s direct price. It’s one of those changes that feels inevitable once the provider itself raises rates.
Customer Options and Next Steps
T-Mobile has begun sending text notifications to affected users, offering reminders and links to manage the subscription. Anyone who prefers not to pay the new 3 dollar fee can remove the Apple TV benefit before the end of the year. The primary account holder or an authorized user can handle this through the T-Mobile website or the T-Life app. And of course, canceling a T-Mobile account altogether also ends the Apple TV membership immediately, though that’s obviously a bigger step than most would take just to avoid a small fee.
In a way, this shift reflects something broader happening across the wireless industry. Carriers have been rethinking the long-term cost of offering permanent streaming perks at no charge. Verizon, for example, has already moved toward discounted add-ons instead of open-ended freebies. T-Mobile still plans to keep certain other perks, including Netflix On Us for eligible premium plans, which might reassure customers who value bundled services.
Still, it’s one of those updates that makes people stop and consider how much these bundled perks factor into their plan choices, even if the new fee seems relatively modest at first glance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which T-Mobile plans are affected by the $3 Apple TV charge?
A. The plans affected are primarily T-Mobile’s premium offerings that included the full “Apple TV On Us” benefit. These include Go5G Plus, Go5G Next, Magenta MAX, Magenta Plus, Experience More, Experience Beyond, and ONE Plus.
Q. What happens if I don’t cancel the Apple TV benefit by January 1, 2026?
A. If you do not remove the Apple TV add-on from your account before January 1, 2026, the $3 monthly fee will appear on your first bill after that date, and your subscription will continue at the discounted rate.
Q. Is T-Mobile ending the Netflix On Us benefit as well?
A. No. As of this announcement, T-Mobile has not indicated any changes to its Netflix On Us benefit, which is included with some of its premium plans. Netflix has previously undergone price increases, which T-Mobile has typically covered in the past for its customers with qualifying plans.
Q. How does this change relate to the previous one-year free Apple TV offer?
A. T-Mobile previously offered a one-year trial of Apple TV to customers on plans like Magenta and Magenta MAX when the service was originally launched. The recent change relates to the permanent, always-on “Apple TV On Us” perk for the higher-tier plans like Go5G Plus and Magenta MAX, which is now transitioning to a $3 paid discount.
Q. Can I remove the Apple TV add-on from my T-Mobile account?
A. Yes, you can remove the Apple TV add-on from your account via the T-Mobile website or the T-Life app before January 1, 2026, if you do not want to pay the new $3 monthly charge.
