Even if you want to subscribe to Disney Plus or Hulu on your iPhone, you can’t do that anymore. Support documents for Disney Plus and Hulu reportedly state that new and returning subscribers to these streaming services cannot sign up through Apple. mcroomers.
I don’t currently pay for Disney Plus, so out of curiosity I tried logging into my account from the iOS app to see what would happen. After entering my email address and password, the following message was displayed: “Unfortunately, this app does not support in-app sign-up. Complete your account setup on the website. Create and manage your account at disneyplus.com/next.” Hulu’s iOS app Now, if you try to log in without an active subscription, you’ll be redirected to Hulu’s website.
Screenshot by Jay Peters/The Verge
Presumably, the company is making this change to prevent Apple from receiving a cut of new Disney Plus and Hulu subscription revenue. However, Disney says that even if you already subscribe to these services through Apple, you’ll still be billed through Apple.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disney is the latest company to stop new subscriptions through its iOS app. Netflix stopped subscribing users through its iOS app in 2018 and stopped billing Apple for traditional subscribers earlier this year. Spotify also doesn’t allow people to subscribe through its iOS app. There’s a cheeky message inside the app that says, “We know it’s not ideal.”
