Apple has made retention messages for subscriptions available to developers. The messages appear in the cancellation flow and are meant to remind subscribers of a subscription’s value as they decide whether to cancel, Apple said in a developer news post on 4 November 2026.
Apple says a retention message can include text, images or a special offer.
How it works
Developers configure the messages in App Store Connect for their auto-renewable subscriptions, including who is eligible and how long to wait between messages. Apple’s App Store Connect help page covers the setup.
Developers who want finer control can use the Retention Messaging API to pick a message for each subscriber based on that person’s subscription details. Apple says access to the API is available by request.
What it means for subscribers
Apple’s announcement is aimed at developers and does not say when individual apps will start showing the messages, or in which countries or regions they will appear. For people who subscribe to apps, the visible change is a message at the moment of cancelling, which may include an offer.