According to The How-To Geek, T-Mobile is officially dropping its popular Apple TV “On Us” perk for customers on premium plans like Magenta MAX and Go5G Plus. The carrier has started texting impacted customers that their previously free Apple TV+ subscription will now cost $3 per month starting January 1, 2026. This change comes after Apple increased the service price from $9.99 to $12.99 monthly back in August 2025. Customers who were already paying $9.99 through T-Mobile will see their bill jump to the full $12.99 rate. The company began notifying users on November 19, 2025, giving them time to remove the add-on before the new charges take effect.
The real reason behind the change
Here’s the thing: T-Mobile isn’t actually charging more for Apple TV+ than Apple does directly. They’re just refusing to eat the $3 price increase that Apple implemented. Basically, they’re passing the entire cost difference directly to customers rather than absorbing any of it themselves. And that’s interesting because it shows how carriers are getting more careful about streaming perks as content costs keep rising across the board.
Netflix vs Apple TV: Different treatment
Now compare this to how T-Mobile handles Netflix. Netflix has had multiple price increases over the years, yet T-Mobile still covers the ad-supported tier completely free on those same premium plans. So why the different treatment? It probably comes down to negotiation power and subscriber numbers. Netflix has way more users, making it a more valuable retention tool. Apple TV+, while growing, doesn’t have the same pull yet. Carriers pick their battles carefully when it comes to these streaming partnerships.
What this means for you
If you’re on one of these affected plans, you’ve got some decisions to make. You can keep Apple TV+ and pay the $3 through your T-Mobile bill, which honestly isn’t terrible considering it’s still cheaper than paying $12.99 directly. Or you can remove it entirely through your T-Mobile account or the T-Life app. But here’s the catch: you need to be the Primary Account Holder or an Authorized User to make these changes. And you should act before January 1st if you want to avoid the charge completely.
The bigger picture
This move feels like part of a larger trend where carriers are slowly walking back the “free everything” mentality that dominated the wireless wars a few years ago. Remember when T-Mobile was the “Un-carrier” that included all sorts of perks? Well, as The Mobile Report notes, those days might be winding down. Inflation, rising content costs, and shareholder pressure are forcing carriers to be more selective about what they subsidize. I suspect we’ll see more of these subtle perk reductions in the coming years as the industry matures and growth slows.
