Before You Try Any Fixes: What the ShortMax App Is
ShortMax is essentially a vertical short-drama streaming service, and problems with an account get simpler to handle once you know who runs it. On the App Store the seller appears as SHORTTV LIMITED, a Hong reelshort Kong-registered company, and Google Play records the same legal entity under the developer name SHORTMAX LIMITED. ShortMax’s launch came in September 2023, as it showed up on Google Play on September 3 and on the App Store on September 11 of the same year. The Android version on its own lists over 100 million installs, so you are not alone at all with a billing question. Its listing in the stores boasts more than 50,000 dramas in 19 languages, which is the company’s own figure rather than an independent count. Legally, the app’s terms of service are governed by Hong Kong law. The one product covered here appears whether you enter “shortmax”, “short max” or “shortmax app”.
Unable to Log In to ShortMax?
Logging in with another method than the one you used the first time is behind most shortmax login trouble. Facebook, Google and Apple can all be used for signing in, per ShortMax’s terms, as can a phone number or email address bound to your ShortMax account. If you press a different button later, you could be taken to a separate and empty account, which is why a purchase can look like it has vanished. Whether ShortMax has a guest mode is unconfirmed, so you should not rely on one to keep your coins or pass protected. As the safest habit, choose one sign-in method and stick with it on every device. Work through the steps below to eliminate that simple mix-up before deciding your coins are gone.
- Return to the sign-in button you tapped for your first payment.
- Look for your purchases as you try the other methods one at a time.
- With phone or email login, use the email address or phone number you tied to the account.
- Update the app and reboot your phone.
- Reach out to support with your UID and receipt if none of this helps, as explained below.
How ShortMax Subscriptions Work
The primary shortmax subscription in the US App Store is called Weekly Pass Pro. In September 2026 it appears at about $19.99 a week, with a lower tier at about $9.99 a week, while one-time purchases range from about $3.49 to $24.99. Prices differ by country, platform and promotion, so take those figures as a rough reference. We could not confirm monthly or yearly plans, since the US store shows only weekly passes. The terms of service say a subscription renews automatically 24 hours before it expires, at the same price. Cancelling on the final day may already be too late, and that is why this timing catches people out. Episodes outside the pass get unlocked with coins; App Store reviewers complain that some cost up to 60 coins, with little cost information in advance. Check the price on the unlock screen each time instead of assuming every episode costs the same.
Charged After a Free Trial?
An unexpected charge after what felt like a free period is a common complaint in this category. The developer’s own replies on Google Play acknowledge that people were confused by its “free trial” and “24 hours free” wording. Deleting the app does not stop billing, a point both Apple and Google make in their help pages. What happens in practice is that a weekly pass started from an offer keeps renewing until you cancel it. Begin by working out who actually charged you, since this determines where you cancel and where you ask for a refund. Collect the evidence before anything else: a clear timeline makes every later step faster.
- Search your inbox for an Apple or Google Play receipt.
- If there is one, cancel and request a refund through that store.
- If there isn’t one, screenshot the merchant name on your card statement.
- Use the steps below to cancel the renewal right away.
- After that, go through the matching route to ask for a refund.
How to Cancel ShortMax on iPhone
Apple handles the billing for passes bought through the App Store, so the option to cancel lives in your iPhone settings. Apple’s settings are the most dependable place to stop an App Store renewal, even though ShortMax’s terms also refer to an “About Subscription” option inside the app. Removing the app from your home screen cancels nothing, and Apple says so plainly. Because the pass renews 24 hours before it expires, try to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. A screenshot of the confirmation screen gives you proof of the date, so grab one. Expect to spend under a minute on the whole process.
- Tap your name at the top once you open Settings.
- Select Subscriptions.
- Select ShortMax from the list.
- Tap Cancel, then confirm.
- If ShortMax is missing, you may have paid under another Apple ID or on Android.
Stopping ShortMax on Android
Google’s Play Store, rather than ShortMax itself, controls a pass bought through Google Play on Android. Google makes it clear on its help page that uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription. The “About Subscription” option inside the app listed in ShortMax’s terms is another route, but Google Play is where store-billed renewals are reliably switched off. Make sure that you are in the same Google account that paid, or the subscription might not appear in the list. Store a screenshot with your receipt, taken once it shows as cancelled. Support becomes your route if you paid anywhere other than Google Play, because that payment will not show there.
- Launch the Google Play Store.
- Open your account menu and choose Subscriptions.
- Pick ShortMax.
- Tap Cancel and follow the prompts.
Money Back: What the ShortMax Terms Say
The line ShortMax’s terms take on refunds is a strict one. ShortMax writes that refunds are “not entertained unless the paid product/service is unusable for the reason of ShortMax”. Taken literally, that leaves little room for a refund just because you forgot to cancel. Store purchases, though, are also covered by Apple’s and Google’s own refund processes, which run separately from the app’s terms. For a purchase made on iPhone, you can ask for a refund through Apple’s Report a Problem page, and Apple usually replies within 24 to 48 hours. According to Google, on Android you might be able to receive a refund directly from Google Play within 48 hours of purchase. Once that window has passed, Google refers you to the developer, so you will need to email ShortMax customer service. Because no refund is guaranteed, describe what happened briefly and attach your receipt.
Getting in Touch With ShortMax Customer Service
Email is the main way to reach ShortMax customer service. ShortMax’s terms of service, posted on the official ShortMax website, list the service email to use. Since at least one circulating address uses a misspelled domain and could not be verified, be wary of addresses posted on question-and-answer sites. Your UID, the account ID that lets staff find you, is what the developer asks users to include in replies to Google Play reviews. A subject line of “Cancel Subscription – Urgent” is recommended in the same replies for cancellation problems. You can pursue the Apple or Google refund route at the same time when replies are slow and the charge came through a store. Add the items below, since a complete first message saves time.
- Your UID and the sign-in method you use.
- The charge’s date, amount and store, plus a screenshot of the receipt.
- Whether you have cancelled already, plus a screenshot of that screen.
- A single clear request: cancel, refund, restore your coins or fix a login.
Where Every ShortMax Task Is Handled
Much of the frustration comes from tackling a problem in the wrong place. Your account, your coins and your viewing are handled by the app, while the money for store purchases is handled by the stores. Anything the app and the stores cannot settle on their own goes to email support. The table below works as a quick map to use before you start tapping through menus. It reflects the terms and store help pages as of September 2026, and menus can change with updates. Cancel first and ask questions second when in doubt.
| Task | Where to go | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in or switch accounts | The ShortMax app | Facebook, Google, Apple, or linked email or phone |
| Check or cancel in the app | Inside the ShortMax app | “About Subscription”, per the terms |
| Cancel a pass purchased on iPhone | The App Store | Settings, your name, then Subscriptions |
| Stop a pass bought on Android | The Google Play Store | Subscriptions in your account menu |
| Get a refund on an App Store charge | App Store | Report a Problem; reply in 24 to 48 hours |
| Refund for a Google Play charge | Google Play, then by email | Possible within 48 hours; later on, contact the developer |
| Missing coins, lockouts or billing disputes | The service email from the terms, plus your UID |