There are no stupid questions. And while this is one of those things that may seem obvious to you, remember that we all have to start somewhere.
If you've decided that you're no longer going to use a particular streaming service you need to do more than just uninstall the app. Whether it's on Roku, or Apple TV, or Android TV, or on your phone or tablet — uninstalling an application won't actually keep you from being charged every month.
Simply uninstalling an application will not keep that service from charging you each month.
Instead, you need to go into that specific service and cancel your service.
Repeat: Uninstalling an application doesn't stop the service from working. You'll have to cancel that service on its own first.
Look at it like this, we suppose. Netflix knows what you watch and when you watch it. That makes total sense. But what it doesn't have any idea about — and nor should it — is whether you have the application installed on your phone or Roku or whatever. And in any case, it's perfectly reasonable that you might have Netflix (or whatever service) installed on more than one device, right? So removing it from, say, your phone doesn't mean that you wouldn't want to keep watching it on a Roku.
So it makes perfect sense that uninstalling an application won't actually keep it from charging you from month to month.
As for how to cancel a service? It can vary from one to the next. And some make it easier to do than others. (Don't get us started on that.) But in a general sense, you'll want to head into the account section in that specific service — either in a web browser or maybe in an application — and look for a button to cancel.
There's a caveat to that, though. It's possible to subscribe to things through iTunes or Google Play, or maybe through Xbox or PlayStation. In that case, you'll need to cancel through those stores instead. (Like we said, it can vary.)
But the basic point remains: Uninstalling an app on a phone or set-top box probably doesn't mean you're quitting the service — and it doesn't mean you won't keep seeing charges for that service.
How to cancel Hulu or Hulu Live
How to cancel an Amazon Prime video channel
How to cancel PlayStation Vue
How to cancel DirecTV Now
How to cancel YouTube TV
How to cancel Sling TV
How to cancel Netflix
