Downloading a free app might not be as free as you think.
Many popular apps offer free trials, but if you don’t read the fine print you could end up spending hundreds of dollars on an app you don’t even use.
Cybersecurity experts have a name for some of these apps: “fleeceware.”
The idea is simple. Hook users with a free trial and hope they forget to cancel.
The shift from buying apps to subscriptions
It wasn’t that long ago that most apps cost just a few dollars. You paid once and used the app as long as you wanted.
Today, many apps use a subscription model instead. That means you’re billed weekly, monthly, or yearly.
Often those subscriptions begin with a free trial.
When a “free trial” gets expensive
Some apps offer reasonable pricing.
For example, a popular workout app offers a 7 day free trial and then renews for $60 per year. That’s fairly typical for many apps today.
But some subscriptions are much more expensive.
One phone call recording app that claims to have more than 5 million users offers a 3 day free trial. After that, the price jumps to $13 per week.
There’s another catch. You must cancel the trial within two days to avoid being charged.
If someone downloads the app and forgets about it, the charges begin automatically.
At $13 a week, that adds up to $676 per year for an app someone may not even be using.
According to the app analytics company Sensor Tower, the app was downloaded about 90,000 times in a single month and generated roughly $400,000 in revenue.
What “fleeceware” apps do
Security researchers use the term fleeceware for apps that rely on free trials and high subscription prices.
The strategy is simple: attract a large number of downloads, offer a short free trial, and hope many users forget to cancel before billing begins.
These apps aren’t necessarily breaking any rules as long as the price and renewal terms are clearly disclosed.
Can you get a refund?
If you’re charged for a subscription you forgot to cancel, you can request a refund from the app store.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes you’ll be told the charge isn’t eligible for a refund.
That’s why prevention is the best approach.
The easiest way to avoid getting charged
If you sign up for a free trial, cancel the subscription immediately.
Even if you cancel right away, you can still use the app until the free trial period ends.
How to cancel a subscription on iPhone
- Open Settings
- Tap your name
- Tap Subscriptions
- Select the app
- Tap Cancel Subscription
How to cancel a subscription on Android
- Open the Google Play Store
- Tap your profile icon
- Tap Payments & subscriptions
- Tap Subscriptions
- Select the app and cancel
Also, as additional proof, snap a screenshot of the terms in case you are charged before the trial ends.
Why these apps are allowed in the stores
You might wonder why apps like this are allowed in the first place.
Apple and Google take a commission from app purchases and subscriptions sold through their stores, often around 15 to 30 percent.
As long as the subscription price and renewal terms are clearly disclosed, the apps usually meet the stores’ rules.
The bottom line
Free trials can be useful if you truly want to test an app.
Just remember to cancel right away.
Otherwise that “free” download could quietly become the most expensive thing on your phone.
