Before Fixing Anything: What ShortMax Actually Is
ShortMax is a streaming app for vertical short dramas, and account problems are simpler to sort out once you know who runs it. SHORTTV LIMITED, a company registered in Hong Kong, is the seller on the App Store, and Google Play lists that same legal entity under the developer name SHORTMAX LIMITED. The app was released in September 2023, with Google Play showing September 3 and the App Store giving September 11 of that year. Given over 100 million installs reported for the Android version alone, you are hardly alone if you have a question about billing. Its store listing advertises more than 50,000 dramas in 19 languages, which is the company’s own number Jarred Harper dramas rather than an independent count. Whether users type « shortmax », « short max » or « shortmax app », each of those searches leads to the same product covered here. ShortMax’s terms of service are subject to Hong Kong law.
Can’t Sign In to ShortMax?
Most of the time, shortmax login trouble starts when you log in with a different method than the one you used originally. Per ShortMax’s terms, you can sign in with Facebook, Google or Apple, or with a phone number or email address bound to your ShortMax account. Choosing a different button later might put you in a separate and empty account, and that is why a purchase can seem to vanish. The safest approach is to stick with one sign-in method and use it on every device. Nobody has confirmed whether there is a guest mode, so don’t rely on one to keep your pass or coins safe. Work through the steps below to rule out that simple mix-up before concluding your coins are gone.
- Begin with the sign-in button you used when you first paid.
- Try the other methods one at a time and check for your purchases.
- Use the address or number bound to the account when using email or phone login.
- Update the app and restart your phone.
- If none of this works, write to support with your UID and receipt, as explained below.
The ShortMax Subscription Explained
The headline shortmax subscription in the US App Store goes by the name Weekly Pass Pro. As of September 2026 it appears at about $19.99 a week, with a lower tier at about $9.99 a week, while one-time purchases range from about $3.49 to $24.99. Pricing changes by country, platform and promotion, so use those figures as a rough reference. Because the US store shows only weekly passes, monthly and yearly plans could not be confirmed. Per the terms, a subscription is renewed automatically 24 hours before it expires, at the same price as before. Users get tripped up by that timing, because a cancellation on the last day might already be too late. Outside the pass, episodes are opened with coins; App Store reviewers complain that some cost up to 60 coins, with little cost information in advance. Confirm the price on the unlock screen each time rather than assuming every episode costs the same.
Charged After a Free Trial?
Getting charged without expecting it after what felt like a free period is a common complaint in this category. The « free trial » and « 24 hours free » wording confused users, which ShortMax’s own replies on Google Play admit. In reality, a weekly pass started from an offer goes on renewing until you cancel it. Both Apple and Google point out in their help pages that removing the app does not stop billing. The party that actually charged you decides where you cancel and where you ask for money back, so working that out comes first. Gather the evidence first, since a clear timeline makes every later step faster.
- Look for an Apple or Google Play receipt in your inbox.
- If you find one, cancel and ask for refunds through that store.
- If there is none, screenshot the merchant name on your card statement.
- Follow the steps below to cancel the renewal immediately.
- After that request a refund through the matching route.
Stopping ShortMax on iPhone
The option to cancel sits in your iPhone settings for App Store subscriptions, because Apple handles the billing. Apple’s settings are the most reliable place to stop an App Store renewal, even though ShortMax’s terms also refer to an « About Subscription » option inside the app. Deleting the app from your home screen cancels nothing, and Apple says so plainly. Plan to cancel at least a day before the renewal date, because the pass renews 24 hours before it expires. A capture of the confirmation screen leaves you with proof of the date, so grab one. Expect to spend less than a minute on the whole process.
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Locate ShortMax in the list and tap it.
- Tap Cancel and confirm.
- If you cannot see ShortMax, you might have paid under another Apple ID or on Android.
How to Cancel a ShortMax Subscription on Android
The Play Store, rather than ShortMax itself, manages a pass bought through Google Play on Android. Google spells out in its help page that uninstalling 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. The subscription may not show up in the list unless you are in the same Google account that paid, so confirm that first. Support is the route to take if you paid anywhere other than Google Play, since such a payment will not show there. Once it shows as cancelled, grab a screenshot and keep it with your receipt.
- Launch the Google Play Store.
- Open your account menu and find Subscriptions.
- Tap ShortMax.
- Press Cancel, then follow the prompts.
Refunds: The ShortMax Terms on Refunds
On refunds, ShortMax’s terms take a firm line. Refunds, as the company puts it, are « not entertained unless the paid product/service is unusable for the reason of ShortMax ». Read literally, this wording leaves little room for a refund simply because you forgot to cancel. The refund processes of Apple and Google, however, also cover store purchases and run separately from the app’s terms. For a purchase made on iPhone, you can request a refund through Apple’s Report a Problem page, and Apple usually replies within 24 to 48 hours. According to Google, on Android you may be able to get a refund directly from Google Play within 48 hours of purchase. Once that window has passed, Google refers you to the developer, so you will need to email ShortMax customer service. Describe what happened briefly and attach your receipt, since no refund is guaranteed.
How to Reach ShortMax Customer Service
For the most part, ShortMax customer service operates by email. Write to the service email 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. The developer, replying to Google Play reviews, asks users to include their UID, the account ID that lets staff find you. For problems with cancelling, the same replies suggest the subject line « Cancel Subscription – Urgent ». If replies are slow and the charge came through a store, following the Apple or Google refund route at the same time is an option. To save time, include the items below.
- Your UID and the sign-in method you use.
- The date, amount and store of the charge, along with a screenshot of your receipt.
- Whether you have already cancelled, along with a screenshot of the cancellation screen.
- A single clear request: cancel, refund, restore coins or fix a login.
Which Place Handles Each ShortMax Task
A lot of the frustration comes from fixing a problem in the wrong place. Your account, your coins and your viewing are handled by the app, while the money for store purchases is handled by the stores. With whatever the app and the stores cannot settle on their own, you turn to email support. Use the table below as a quick guide before you start tapping through menus. Menus can change with updates, and as of September 2026, the table follows the terms and store help pages. The rule when in doubt is simple: cancel first and ask questions second.
| Job | Where to go | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Log in or change accounts | Inside the ShortMax app | Facebook, Google, Apple, or bound email or phone |
| Review or cancel in the app | ShortMax app | « About Subscription », as named in the terms |
| Cancel a pass bought on iPhone | App Store | Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions |
| Stop a pass bought on Android | Google Play | Subscriptions, in your account menu |
| Refund for an App Store charge | App Store | Report a Problem; a reply in 24 to 48 hours |
| Refund for a Google Play charge | Google Play, then email | Possible within 48 hours; later, contact the developer |
| Missing coins, lockouts or billing disputes | By email | The service email from the terms, plus your UID |