How do you switch to YouTube Premium Lite?
How to move to the cheaper Lite plan for ad-free videos instead of full Premium, and what you give up.
Short answer
Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships, or tap your profile photo in the YouTube app and open Purchases and memberships. If the Premium Lite plan appears on your account, select it and add a payment method. If it doesn't appear, the plan hasn't launched in your country yet, so wait instead of cancelling your current Premium subscription.
What you need
Step by step
Check whether the plan shows on your account
Open youtube.com/premium in a browser. Premium Lite is rolling out gradually, so it doesn't appear on every account at the same time. If the list only shows standard Premium and the Family plan, Lite isn't active for your country or account yet.
Compare the plans on price
Lite costs roughly half of standard Premium. In exchange you keep seeing ads on music content, in Shorts, and on search and browse screens. Offline downloads, background play, and YouTube Music are not included in Lite.
Manage your current subscription
If you already pay for Premium, open youtube.com/paid_memberships. Under Manage membership, look for the option to change plans and downgrade to Lite. The change usually takes effect at the end of your current billing period, so the days you already paid for aren't wasted.
Pick a payment method and confirm
After selecting the plan, add a card, debit card, or carrier billing. The first charge goes through right away once you confirm, and ad-free viewing starts at the same moment. Note your billing date.
Test the ad-free experience
Open a long video that normally serves ads and confirm none play. Then try a music video and the Shorts feed; ads there are expected, not a fault. That way you learn the plan's limits up front.
Cancel if it isn't worth it
From the same Purchases and memberships page, tap Cancel membership. You keep ad-free viewing until the end of the period you already paid for, and no new charge is taken.
Tips
Watch out
When you move from Premium down to Lite, videos you downloaded for offline viewing stop working after a while and background play switches off. If you're used to listening to YouTube on your phone with the screen off, this plan will disappoint you.
Frequently asked questions
+Is Premium Lite available in my country?
The plan is rolling out gradually and doesn't launch everywhere at once. If it isn't listed on youtube.com/premium, it hasn't reached your account yet, so check again later.
+Do I see no ads at all on the Lite plan?
No. Ads are removed from regular videos, but you still see them on music content, in the Shorts feed, and on search and browse screens.
+Is YouTube Music included?
No. Ad-free music listening, music videos, and offline downloads belong to standard Premium. Lite only removes ads from video watching.
+Do I get a refund if I downgrade from standard Premium to Lite?
Usually no refund is issued; the plan change takes effect at the end of your current billing period. Until that date you keep your full Premium benefits.
+Are experimental features like playback speed boosts in Lite?
This isn't clear. Most experimental features go to full Premium subscribers, so they probably won't show up on Lite.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 13 Eylül 2026. tell us.
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