Before You Start Troubleshooting: What ShortMax Actually Is
ShortMax is essentially an app that streams vertical short dramas, and trouble with your account become easier to solve once you find out who runs it. SHORTTV LIMITED, a Hong Kong-registered company, is the seller on watch reelshort free the App Store, and Google Play lists that same legal entity under the developer name SHORTMAX LIMITED. ShortMax went live in September 2023, going by the store listings: Google Play shows September 3 and the App Store shows September 11 of that year. You are by no means alone with a billing question, given that the Android version alone shows over 100 million installs. Over 50,000 dramas in 19 languages are claimed in its store listing, the company’s own figure rather than an independently verified count. Legally, the app’s terms of service are governed by Hong Kong law. The one product this guide covers appears whether people type “shortmax”, “short max” or “shortmax app”.
Can’t Sign In to ShortMax?
Logging in with a different method than the one you used the first time is the usual cause of most shortmax login trouble. ShortMax’s terms say that you can sign in using Facebook, Google or Apple, or with an email address or phone number tied to your ShortMax account. Pressing a different button later could put you in a separate, empty account, and that is why a purchase can appear to disappear. It has not been confirmed whether there is a guest mode, so you shouldn’t rely on one to keep your coins or pass secure. For safety, pick one sign-in method and stick with it on every device. Before concluding your coins are gone, eliminate that simple mix-up with the steps below.
- Go back to the sign-in button you tapped for your first payment.
- Check for your purchases while trying the other methods one at a time.
- With email or phone login, use the email address or phone number you bound to the account.
- Restart your phone once you have updated the app.
- If nothing works, contact support with your UID and receipt, as explained below.
Understanding the ShortMax Subscription
The primary shortmax subscription in the US App Store is called Weekly Pass Pro. In September 2026 it costs about $19.99 a week, a lower tier sits at about $9.99 a week, and one-time purchases go from about $3.49 to $24.99. Monthly and annual plans could not be confirmed, because the US store offers only weekly passes. Because pricing differs by country, platform and promotion, those figures should be treated as a rough reference. A subscription renews automatically, at the same price, 24 hours before it expires, according to the terms. People get caught out by this timing, because a cancellation on the last day may already be too late. Outside the pass, episodes are opened with coins; App Store reviewers report that some cost up to 60 coins, with little cost information in advance. Rather than assuming every episode costs the same, confirm the price on the unlock screen each time.
Charged After a Free Trial?
Across this category, one common complaint is an unexpected charge after what seemed like a free period. In its own responses on Google Play, ShortMax admits that people were confused by its “free trial” and “24 hours free” wording. As both Apple and Google point out in their help pages, deleting the app does not stop billing. What happens in practice is that a weekly pass activated through an offer keeps renewing until you cancel it. The first step is to figure out who actually charged you, because that decides where you cancel and where you ask for money back. A clean timeline makes every later step faster, so gather the evidence first.
- Look through your inbox for an Apple or Google Play receipt.
- Cancel the pass and ask for a refund through that store if you find one.
- Capture the merchant name on your card statement if no receipt turns up.
- Follow the steps below to cancel the renewal right away.
- After that, use the matching route to request a refund.
How to Cancel a ShortMax Subscription on iPhone
If you signed up through the App Store, Apple handles the billing, so the cancel control lives in your iPhone settings. While ShortMax’s terms also mention an “About Subscription” option inside the app, Apple’s settings remain the most reliable place to switch off an App Store renewal. Apple makes it plain that deleting the app from your home screen cancels nothing. Since the pass renews 24 hours before it expires, plan to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. You will need under a minute on the whole process. Capture the confirmation screen so you have proof of the date.
- Tap your name at the top after opening Settings.
- Choose Subscriptions.
- Choose ShortMax from the list.
- Press Cancel and confirm.
- If ShortMax is not there, you may have paid under another Apple ID or on Android.
Cancelling ShortMax on Android
On Android, a pass bought through Google Play is controlled from the Play Store rather than from ShortMax itself. The Google help page is clear that deleting an app does not cancel its subscription. Google Play is where store-billed renewals are reliably switched off, although the in-app “About Subscription” option named in ShortMax’s terms is another route. If you are not in the same Google account that paid, the subscription might not appear in the list, so confirm this. A purchase made anywhere other than Google Play will not show there, and support becomes the way forward. Once it shows as cancelled, take a screenshot and file it with your receipt.
- Go to the Google Play Store.
- Open your account menu and find Subscriptions.
- Select ShortMax.
- Tap Cancel, then complete the prompts.
Money Back: What the ShortMax Terms Say
The ShortMax terms take a strict line on refunds. To quote the company, refunds are “not entertained unless the paid product/service is unusable for the reason of ShortMax”. Taken literally, this wording leaves little room for a refund simply because you forgot to cancel. Apple’s and Google’s own refund processes, however, also cover store purchases and run separately from the app’s terms. You can ask for a refund on an iPhone purchase using Apple’s Report a Problem page, with Apple usually replying within 24 to 48 hours. For Android purchases, Google says that within 48 hours of purchase you may be able to get a refund directly from Google Play. After that window has passed, Google directs you to the developer, which means writing to ShortMax customer service. Explain what happened briefly and attach your receipt, since a refund is not guaranteed.
Contacting ShortMax Customer Service
Email is the main channel for ShortMax customer service. The right service email is the one listed in ShortMax’s terms of service, which are published on the official ShortMax website. Treat with caution addresses posted on question-and-answer sites, since at least one circulating address uses a misspelled domain and could not be verified. In replies to Google Play reviews, the developer asks users to include their UID, the account ID that lets staff find you. The same replies suggest the subject line “Cancel Subscription – Urgent” for cancellation issues. When replies are slow and the charge came through a store, pursuing the Apple or Google refund route at the same time is possible. Include the items below, because a complete first message saves time.
- Your UID along with the sign-in method you use.
- The date, amount and store of the charge, with a receipt screenshot.
- Whether you have cancelled already, plus a screenshot of that screen.
- A single clear request: cancel, refund, restore coins or fix a login.
Which Place Handles Each ShortMax Task
Trying to fix a problem in the wrong place accounts for much of the frustration. Your account, your coins and your viewing are handled by the app, while the money for store purchases is handled by the stores. Email support covers whatever the app and the stores cannot settle on their own. Before you start tapping through menus, use the table below as a quick guide. Menus can change with updates, and as of September 2026, the table reflects the terms and store help pages. If in doubt, cancel first and ask questions second.
| Job | Where to go | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Log in or change accounts | The ShortMax app | Facebook, Google, Apple, or bound email or phone |
| Review or cancel inside the app | ShortMax app | “About Subscription”, per the terms |
| Stop a pass bought on iPhone | The App Store | Settings, your name, then Subscriptions |
| Cancel a pass purchased on Android | The Google Play Store | Subscriptions, in your account menu |
| Refund for an App Store charge | App Store | Report a Problem; reply within 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, billing disputes | By email | Service email listed in the terms, with your UID |
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