Before Fixing Anything: What ShortMax Actually Is
Knowing who runs ShortMax, a streaming app for vertical short dramas, makes trouble with your account easier to handle. SHORTTV LIMITED, a company registered in Hong Kong, is named as the seller on the App Store, and Google Play lists that same legal entity under the developer name SHORTMAX LIMITED. The app launched https://www.reelshorts.org/trope/forbidden-love/ in September 2023, according to the stores: Google Play shows September 3 and the App Store gives September 11 of that year. The listing, written by the company itself, claims more than 50,000 dramas in 19 languages, but that is the company’s own number and not an independently checked count. Just the Android version reports over 100 million installs, so you are hardly alone with a question about billing. People spell the name as “shortmax”, “short max” or “shortmax app”, and all three searches bring up the same product this guide covers. Its terms of service fall under Hong Kong law.
Unable to Log In to ShortMax?
Most of the time, shortmax login trouble starts when you sign in with a different method than the one you used the first time. ShortMax’s terms explain that you can log in with Facebook, Google or Apple, or using a phone number or email address bound to your ShortMax account. Your purchase can appear to disappear since choosing a different button later might drop you into a separate and empty account. Do not rely on a guest mode to keep your coins or pass secure, because whether ShortMax has one is unconfirmed. Choosing one sign-in method and sticking with it on every device is the safest routine. Work through the steps below to eliminate that simple mix-up before concluding 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 email or phone login, use the address or number you tied to the account.
- Reboot your phone once you have updated the app.
- Contact support with your UID and receipt if nothing works, as described below.
How ShortMax Subscriptions Work
Weekly Pass Pro is what is called the main shortmax subscription in the US App Store. As of September 2026 it appears at about $19.99 a week, with a second tier at about $9.99 a week, while one-time purchases run from about $3.49 to $24.99. We could not confirm monthly or yearly plans, since the US store lists only weekly passes. Because pricing differs by country, platform and promotion, those figures work best as a rough reference. The terms of service say a subscription renews automatically 24 hours before it expires, at the same price. The timing trips people up, since cancelling on the final day might already be too late. Coins are what unlock episodes outside the pass, and App Store reviewers complain that certain episodes cost up to 60 coins with little cost information up front. Check the price on the unlock screen each time instead of assuming every episode costs the same.
Got Charged After the Trial?
In this category, a common complaint is an unexpected charge after what felt like a free period. The developer’s own replies on Google Play acknowledge that people were confused by its “free trial” and “24 hours free” wording. In real life, a weekly pass started from an offer continues to renew until you cancel it. Deleting the app does not stop billing, a point both Apple and Google make in their help pages. Your first job is to figure out who actually charged you, because that decides where you cancel and where you ask for money back. A clear timeline makes every later step faster, so gather the evidence first.
- Find an Apple or Google Play receipt in your inbox.
- If one turns up, cancel and request a refund through that store.
- Screenshot the merchant name on your card statement if no receipt turns up.
- Follow the steps below to cancel the renewal right away.
- Then ask for a refund through the matching route.
How to Cancel a ShortMax Subscription on iPhone
Apple handles the billing for subscriptions made through the App Store, so the option to cancel lives in your iPhone settings. While ShortMax’s terms also mention an “About Subscription” option inside the app, Apple’s settings are the most dependable place to stop an App Store renewal. Apple states clearly that deleting the app from your home screen cancels nothing. The pass renews 24 hours before it expires, so try to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. A screenshot of the confirmation screen gives you proof of the date, so take one. It all takes under a minute.
- Launch Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Select Subscriptions.
- Find ShortMax in the list and select it.
- Hit Cancel and confirm.
- You may have paid under a different Apple ID or on Android if ShortMax is missing.
Stopping ShortMax on Android
On an Android phone, a pass bought through Google Play is controlled from the Play Store rather than from ShortMax itself. Google spells out on its help page that uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription. The in-app “About Subscription” option mentioned in ShortMax’s terms is another route, but Google Play is where store-billed renewals are reliably switched off. If you are not in the same Google account that paid, the subscription might not show up in the list, so confirm this. Keep a screenshot with your receipt, taken once it shows as cancelled. Support becomes your route if you paid anywhere other than Google Play, because that payment will not show there.
- Go to the Google Play Store.
- Find Subscriptions in your account menu.
- Choose ShortMax.
- Tap Cancel, then complete the prompts.
Money Back: The ShortMax Terms on Refunds
When it comes to refunds, ShortMax’s terms take a strict line. Refunds, in the company’s words, are “not entertained unless the paid product/service is unusable for the reason of ShortMax”. There is little room for a refund just because you forgot to cancel, if that is read literally. The refund processes of Apple and Google, however, also cover store purchases and run separately from the app’s terms. Apple’s Report a Problem page is where you can request a refund for an iPhone purchase, and Apple usually responds within 24 to 48 hours. For Android purchases, Google says that within 48 hours of purchase you might be able to obtain a refund directly from Google Play. Writing to ShortMax customer service is the next step after that window, since Google points you to the developer. Explain what happened briefly and attach your receipt, since no refund is guaranteed.
Getting in Touch With ShortMax Customer Service
Mainly, ShortMax customer service works by email. Use the service email given in ShortMax’s terms of service, which are published on the official ShortMax website. Addresses posted on question-and-answer sites deserve caution: at least one circulating address uses a misspelled domain and could not be verified. The UID, the account ID that lets staff find you, is what the developer asks users to include in replies to Google Play reviews. A subject line of “Cancel Subscription – Urgent” is suggested in the same replies for cancellation problems. When replies are slow and the charge came through a store, pursuing the Apple or Google refund route at the same time is an option. Add 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, along with a screenshot of your receipt.
- Whether you have already cancelled, with a screenshot of that screen.
- A single clear request: cancel, refund, restore your coins or fix a login.
Where Every ShortMax Task Is Handled
Trying to fix a problem in the wrong place is behind much of the frustration. The stores handle the money for store purchases, while the app manages your account, coins and viewing. Support by email covers whatever the app and the stores cannot settle on their own. Use the table below as a quick 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. Cancel first, ask questions second if you are unsure.
| Job | Where to go | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in or change accounts | 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 | The App Store | Settings, your name, then Subscriptions |
| Cancel a pass purchased on Android | Google Play | Subscriptions in your account menu |
| Refund for an App Store charge | The App Store | Report a Problem; reply within 24 to 48 hours |
| Refund a Google Play charge | Google Play, followed by 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 |