Before You Try Any Fixes: What ShortMax Actually Is
Account issues are simpler to sort out once you know who runs ShortMax, a vertical short-drama streaming app. SHORTTV LIMITED, a company registered in Hong Kong, appears as the seller on the App Store, and the same legal entity appears on Google Play under the developer name SHORTMAX LIMITED. ShortMax’s launch came in September 2023, as it went up on Google Play on September 3 and on the App Store reel short on September 11 of the same year. Over 50,000 dramas in 19 languages are claimed in its store listing, a company figure rather than an independently verified count. You are hardly alone with a billing issue, given that the Android version alone shows over 100 million installs. On the legal side, the app’s terms of service fall under Hong Kong law. Whether users enter “shortmax”, “short max” or “shortmax app”, all three searches lead to the same product discussed here.
Can’t Log In to ShortMax?
Most of the time, shortmax login trouble starts when you log in with another method than the one you used originally. Under 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. Pressing a different button later may put you in a separate and empty account, which explains why a purchase can seem to vanish. The safest routine is to choose one sign-in method and use it on every device. Whether ShortMax has a guest mode is unconfirmed, so you should not rely on one to keep your coins or your pass safe. Follow the steps below to eliminate that simple mix-up before deciding your coins are gone.
- Try the sign-in button you used when you first paid.
- Check for your purchases while trying the other methods one at a time.
- Use the email address or phone number bound to the account when using an email or phone login.
- Upgrade the app and restart your phone.
- If nothing works, write to support with your UID and receipt, as described below.
How ShortMax Subscriptions Work
The headline shortmax subscription in the US App Store is called Weekly Pass Pro. In September 2026 it costs about $19.99 a week, another tier sits at about $9.99 a week, and one-time purchases range from about $3.49 to $24.99. Because prices vary by country, platform and promotion, those figures work best as a rough reference. We could not confirm monthly and yearly plans, since the US store lists only weekly passes. The terms say a subscription renews automatically 24 hours before it expires, at the same price. Cancelling on the final day may already be too late, and that is why this timing trips people up. Coins are what unlock episodes outside the pass, and some App Store reviewers complain that certain episodes cost up to 60 coins with little pricing information up front. Don’t assume every episode costs the same; confirm the price on the unlock screen each time.
Billed After the Trial?
An unexpected bill after what seemed like a free period is a common complaint in this category. In its own responses on Google Play, ShortMax acknowledges that people were confused by its “free trial” and “24 hours free” wording. Deleting the app does not stop billing, a point both Apple and Google make in their help pages. In real life, a weekly pass started from an offer continues to renew until you cancel it. The first step is to work out who actually charged you, because that decides where you cancel and where you ask for money back. A clean timeline makes every later step faster, so gather the evidence first.
- Find an Apple or Google Play receipt in your inbox.
- Cancel and ask for a refund through that store if you find one.
- If there is none, capture the merchant name on your card statement.
- Use the steps below to cancel the renewal immediately.
- After that, use the matching route to ask for a refund.
Cancelling ShortMax on iPhone
Apple handles the billing for passes bought through the App Store, so the cancel control sits in your iPhone settings. Apple’s settings are the most reliable place to stop an App Store renewal, even though ShortMax’s terms also mention an “About Subscription” option inside the app. As Apple says plainly, removing the app from your home screen cancels nothing. Since the pass renews 24 hours before it expires, aim to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. A screenshot of the confirmation screen leaves you with proof of the date, so take one. Expect to spend less than a minute on the whole process.
- Go to Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Select Subscriptions.
- Locate ShortMax in the list and select it.
- Tap Cancel and confirm.
- If ShortMax is not there, you might have paid under another Apple ID or on Android.
Cancelling ShortMax on Android
The Play Store, rather than ShortMax itself, controls 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 might not appear in the list unless you are signed in to the same Google account that paid, so check this first. Store a screenshot with your receipt, taken once it shows as cancelled. A payment made anywhere other than Google Play will not show there, so support becomes the way forward.
- Go to the Google Play Store.
- Go to Subscriptions in your account menu.
- Pick ShortMax.
- Tap Cancel, then follow the prompts.
Refunds: What ShortMax’s Terms Say
When it comes to refunds, ShortMax’s terms take a firm line. In the company’s words, refunds are “not entertained unless the paid product/service is unusable for the reason of ShortMax”. Taken literally, that wording leaves little room for getting money back just 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. You can request a refund on an iPhone purchase through Apple’s Report a Problem page, with Apple usually replying within 24 to 48 hours. A direct refund from Google Play may be possible on Android within 48 hours of purchase, according to Google. After that window, Google sends 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 operates by email. The service email to use is the one given in ShortMax’s terms of service, which are published on the official ShortMax website. Addresses shared on question-and-answer sites call for 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 provide in replies to Google Play reviews. The same replies suggest the subject line “Cancel Subscription – Urgent” for cancellation issues. You can follow the Apple or Google refund route at the same time if the charge came through a store and replies are slow. Add the items below, since 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.
- One specific request: cancel, refund, restore coins or fix a login.
Where to Handle 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. Email support 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. When in doubt, cancel first and ask questions second.
| Job | Where to do it | Key details |
|---|---|---|
| Log in or change accounts | ShortMax app | Facebook, Google, Apple, or linked email or phone |
| Review or cancel in the app | The ShortMax app | “About Subscription”, according to the terms |
| Cancel a pass bought on iPhone | The App Store | Settings, your name, then Subscriptions |
| Cancel a pass bought on Android | The Google Play Store | Subscriptions, in your account menu |
| Get a refund on 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 email | Possible within 48 hours; later, contact the developer |
| Lost coins, lockouts, billing disputes | Service email listed in the terms, with your UID |