Before You Try Any Fixes: What ShortMax Actually Is
Knowing who runs ShortMax, a streaming app for vertical short dramas, makes account problems easier. On the App Store the seller is SHORTTV LIMITED, a company with its registration in Hong Kong, and Google Play lists the same legal entity under the developer name SHORTMAX LIMITED. The app’s launch came in September www.reelshorts.org/where-to-watch/daddy-help-mommy-s-in-prison 2023, when it appeared on Google Play on September 3 and on the App Store on September 11 of that year. With over 100 million installs reported for the Android version alone, you are hardly alone with a billing question. More than 50,000 dramas in 19 languages is what its store listing claims, a company figure rather than an independently verified count. On the legal side, its terms of service fall under Hong Kong law. Searchers type the name as “shortmax”, “short max” or “shortmax app”, and all three searches bring up the same product covered here.
ShortMax Login Not Working?
The majority of shortmax login trouble stems from logging in via a different method than the one you used when you first signed in. ShortMax’s terms say that you can sign in using Facebook, Google or Apple, or using an email address or phone number linked to your ShortMax account. Tapping a different button later might put you in a separate, empty account, and that is why a purchase can seem to vanish. Settling on one sign-in method and using it on every device is the safest routine. It has not been confirmed whether ShortMax offers a guest mode, so you shouldn’t count on one to keep your pass or coins safe. This simple mix-up is worth ruling out with the steps below before you conclude your coins are gone.
- Go back to the sign-in button you tapped for your first payment.
- Look for your purchases while trying the other methods one at a time.
- For an 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.
- Contact support with your UID and receipt if none of this helps, as explained below.
How ShortMax Subscriptions Work
The primary shortmax subscription in the US App Store goes by the name Weekly Pass Pro. In September 2026 it is priced at about $19.99 per week, a second tier comes in at about $9.99 a week, and one-time purchases go from about $3.49 to $24.99. We could not confirm monthly or yearly plans, since the US store shows only weekly passes. Since pricing differs by country, platform and promotion, those figures are best treated as a reference point. Under the terms, a subscription renews automatically 24 hours before expiry, at the same price as before. Cancelling on the final day might already be too late, and that is why that timing trips people up. Outside of the pass, episodes are unlocked with coins, and App Store reviewers complain that some cost up to 60 coins with little information about cost up front. Rather than assuming every episode costs the same, check the price on the unlock screen each time.
Charged After a Free Trial?
Being billed without expecting it after what seemed like a free period is a common complaint in this app category. Its “free trial” and “24 hours free” wording confused people, as ShortMax’s own replies on Google Play acknowledge. Both Apple and Google point out in their help pages that deleting the app does not stop billing. In reality, a weekly pass begun through an offer goes on renewing until you cancel it. The party that actually charged you determines where you cancel and where you ask for money back, so finding that out comes first. A clear timeline makes every later step faster, so collect the evidence first.
- Check your inbox for an Apple or Google Play receipt.
- Cancel the pass and request refunds through that store if you find one.
- If you find none, capture the merchant name on your card statement.
- Use the steps below to cancel the renewal immediately.
- Then, use the matching route to request a refund.
Stopping ShortMax on iPhone
If you subscribed via the App Store, Apple handles the billing, so the cancel control is located in your iPhone settings. Although ShortMax’s terms also mention an “About Subscription” option inside the app, Apple’s settings remain the most reliable place to stop an App Store renewal. Apple makes it plain that removing the app from your home screen cancels nothing. Because the pass renews 24 hours before it expires, plan to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Expect to spend less than a minute on the whole process. Screenshot the confirmation screen so you have proof of the date.
- Tap your name at the top after opening Settings.
- Choose Subscriptions.
- Locate ShortMax in the list and select it.
- Tap Cancel and confirm.
- You might have paid under a different Apple ID or on Android if ShortMax is missing.
How to Cancel a ShortMax Subscription on Android
A subscription pass bought through Google Play on Android is handled from the Play Store, not from ShortMax itself. Google spells out in its help page that uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription. The in-app “About Subscription” option named in ShortMax’s terms is another route, but Google Play is where store-billed renewals are reliably switched off. The subscription might not show up in the list unless you are using the same Google account that paid, so confirm this first. Support becomes your route if you paid anywhere other than Google Play, because that payment will not show there. Store a screenshot with your receipt, taken once it shows as cancelled.
- Launch the Google Play Store.
- Locate Subscriptions in your account menu.
- Select ShortMax.
- Press Cancel, then complete the prompts.
Getting a Refund: The ShortMax Terms on Refunds
ShortMax’s terms of service take a hard line on refunds. The company says that refunds 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. Apple’s Report a Problem page lets you request a refund for an iPhone purchase, and Apple usually answers within 24 to 48 hours. A direct refund from Google Play may be possible on Android within 48 hours of purchase, Google says. Writing to ShortMax customer service is what remains after that window, because Google points you to the developer. No refund is guaranteed, so describe what happened briefly and attach your receipt.
Contacting ShortMax Customer Service
ShortMax’s customer service operates mainly by email. Write to the service email named in ShortMax’s terms of service, which are published on the official ShortMax website. Addresses posted on question-and-answer sites call for caution: 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 add their UID, the account ID that lets staff find you. The same replies recommend the subject line “Cancel Subscription – Urgent” for cancellation issues. If a store handled the charge and replies are slow, you can use the Apple or Google refund route at the same time. Include the items below, since a complete first message saves time.
- Your UID plus 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, with a screenshot of that screen.
- One specific request: cancel, refund, restore coins or fix a login.
Where Every ShortMax Task Is Handled
Tackling a problem in the wrong place accounts for much of the frustration. The app manages your account, coins and viewing, while the stores take care of the money for store purchases. Whatever the app and the stores cannot settle on their own is covered by email support. Treat the table below as a handy map before you start tapping through menus. Menus can change with updates, and as of September 2026, the table reflects the terms and store help pages. When in doubt, cancel first and ask questions second.
| Action | Where it happens | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in or switch accounts | The ShortMax app | Facebook, Google, Apple, or linked email or phone |
| Check or cancel in the app | The ShortMax app | “About Subscription”, according to the terms |
| Cancel a pass purchased on iPhone | App Store | Settings, your name, Subscriptions |
| Cancel a pass bought on Android | Google Play | Subscriptions, in your account menu |
| Get a refund on an App Store charge | App Store | Report a Problem; reply in 24 to 48 hours |
| Refund for a Google Play charge | Google Play, then email | Possible within 48 hours; after that, contact the developer |
| Missing coins, lockouts, billing disputes | By email | Service email from the terms, plus your UID |
