Before You Try Any Fixes: What the ShortMax App Is

ShortMax works as a streaming app for vertical short dramas, and account issues are simpler to sort out once you find out who runs it. The App Store seller is SHORTTV LIMITED, a Hong Kong-registered company, while Google There’s No Home for the Broken-Hearted free Play places the same legal entity under the developer label SHORTMAX LIMITED. ShortMax launched in September 2023, going by the store listings: Google Play shows September 3 and the App Store shows September 11 of that year. Given over 100 million installs reported for just the Android version, you are by no means alone 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 a count from an outside source. Searchers spell the name as “shortmax”, “short max” or “shortmax app”, and all three searches bring up the same product covered here. Hong Kong law applies to ShortMax’s terms of service.

ShortMax Login Not Working?

Signing in through another method than the one you used the first time is where most shortmax login trouble starts. ShortMax’s terms explain that you can log in using Facebook, Google or Apple, or with an email address or phone number bound to your ShortMax account. Your purchase can seem to vanish since tapping a different button later may put you in a separate, empty account. It has not been confirmed whether the app offers a guest mode, so you shouldn’t count on one to keep your pass or coins safe. The safest habit is to settle on one sign-in method and stick with it on every device. Before you assume your coins are gone, check for that simple mix-up with the steps below.

  1. Start with the sign-in button you chose when you first paid.
  2. Check for your purchases while trying the other methods one at a time.
  3. Enter the email address or phone number bound to the account for an email or phone login.
  4. Restart your phone after updating the app.
  5. If none of this works, contact support with your UID and receipt, as explained below.

How ShortMax Subscriptions Work

In the US App Store, the primary shortmax subscription goes by Weekly Pass Pro. As of September 2026 the pass costs about $19.99 a week, a lower tier sits at about $9.99 a week, and one-time purchases run from about $3.49 to $24.99. It was not possible to confirm monthly and yearly plans, because the US store lists only weekly passes. Since pricing differs by country, platform and promotion, those figures are best treated as a rough reference. The terms state a subscription renews automatically 24 hours before it expires, at the same price as before. The timing catches people out, since cancelling on the final day may already be too late. Coins are what unlock episodes outside the pass, and some App Store reviewers complain that some episodes cost up to 60 coins with little cost information up front. Confirm the price on the unlock screen each time instead of assuming every episode costs the same.

Got Charged After the Trial?

Getting charged without expecting it after what felt like a free period is a common complaint among apps in this category. In its own replies on Google Play, ShortMax acknowledges that people were confused by its “free trial” and “24 hours free” wording. What happens in practice is that a weekly pass started from an offer continues to renew until you cancel it. As both Apple and Google explain in their help pages, uninstalling the app does not stop billing. The party that actually charged you decides where you cancel and where you ask for money back, so finding that out comes first. Gather the evidence first, since a clear timeline makes every later step faster.

  1. Search your inbox for an Apple or Google Play receipt.
  2. If one turns up, cancel and request a refund through that store.
  3. Screenshot the merchant name on your card statement if there is none.
  4. Follow the steps below to cancel the renewal right away.
  5. After that request a refund through the matching route.

Cancelling ShortMax on iPhone

The cancel control sits in your iPhone settings for App Store subscriptions, because Apple handles the billing. ShortMax’s terms also mention an “About Subscription” option inside the app, but Apple’s settings are the most dependable place to stop an App Store renewal. As Apple says plainly, removing the app from your home screen cancels nothing. Since the pass renews 24 hours before it expires, try to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Capture the confirmation screen so you have proof of the date. The whole thing takes under a minute.

  1. Launch Settings and tap your name at the top.
  2. Select Subscriptions.
  3. Tap ShortMax from the list.
  4. Press Cancel, then confirm.
  5. If ShortMax is not there, you might have paid under another Apple ID or on Android.

How to Cancel a ShortMax Subscription on Android

A subscription pass bought through Google Play on Android is managed from the Play Store, not from ShortMax itself. Google’s help page is clear that deleting 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 turned off. The subscription might not appear in the list unless you are signed in to the same Google account that paid, so check that first. Support becomes your route if you paid anywhere other than Google Play, because such a payment will not show there. Grab a screenshot once it shows as cancelled, and store it with your receipt.

  1. Launch the Google Play Store.
  2. Tap your account menu and find Subscriptions.
  3. Choose ShortMax.
  4. Tap Cancel, then follow the prompts.

Getting a Refund: What the ShortMax Terms Say

On refunds, ShortMax’s terms take a strict line. Refunds, as the company puts it, are “not entertained unless the paid product/service is unusable for the reason of ShortMax”. Taken at face value, that leaves little room for a refund just 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. For a purchase made on iPhone, you can ask for a refund through Apple’s Report a Problem page, and Apple usually responds 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 closes, Google directs you to the developer, which means writing to ShortMax customer service. Describe what happened briefly and attach your receipt, because a refund is not guaranteed.

How to Reach ShortMax Customer Service

For the most part, ShortMax customer service works by email. The right service email is the one given in ShortMax’s terms of service, which appear on the official ShortMax website. Since at least one circulating address uses a misspelled domain and could not be verified, be careful with addresses shared 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. For cancellation issues, the same replies suggest the subject line “Cancel Subscription – Urgent”. You can follow 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.

  1. The sign-in method you use and your UID.
  2. The charge’s date, amount and store, plus a screenshot of the receipt.
  3. Whether you have already cancelled, with a screenshot of that screen.
  4. One specific request: cancel, refund, restore coins or fix a login.

Where to Handle Each ShortMax Task

Fixing a problem in the wrong place accounts for much of the frustration. The stores handle the money for store purchases, while the app handles your account, coins and viewing. Support by email covers whatever the app and the stores cannot settle on their own. Before you start tapping through menus, treat the table below as a quick map. It is based on the terms and store help pages as of September 2026, and menus can change with updates. The rule if you are unsure is straightforward: cancel first and ask questions second.

Job Where to go Good to know
Sign in or change accounts ShortMax app Facebook, Google, Apple, or a bound email or phone
Review or cancel in the app ShortMax app “About Subscription”, per the terms
Cancel a pass bought on iPhone The App Store Settings, your name, then Subscriptions
Cancel a pass purchased on Android Google Play Subscriptions under your account menu
Refund an App Store charge The App Store Report a Problem; a 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 Email The service email from the terms, plus your UID