Verizon started offering six months of free Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass to subscribers on its regular unlimited plan. If you were on the pricier 5G Get More or 5G Play More plans, you got a whole year for free. But that free ride is ending later this year, meaning you’ll have to start paying if you want to keep the subscription.
Verizon is pulling the plug on the free Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass perks for 5G Get More and Play More subscribers. According to a notice in the Verizon app, these freebies will be dropped from accounts starting September 25, 2025 (via Droid Life).
A newly updated support page also mentions that you’ll need to activate the Apple Arcade offer by September 22 if you want to hang onto it for the rest of the term.
The news came not long after early signs of price hikes started surfacing, and now Verizon customers are spotting the changes firsthand, with posts popping up on Reddit.
The increases touch everything from tablet plans to admin and Telco Recovery charges, but the $5 bump in activation fees, from $35 to $40, is getting the most attention.
Legacy plans under pressure as Verizon phases out discounts
These changes could be seen as Verizon’s way of nudging people off older plans and onto newer ones. Sure, there are valid reasons for carriers to push upgrades, but it also gives them a chance to phase out old freebies and discounts.
On the other hand, Verizon is rolling out a promo through the My Verizon app, giving away 150,000 freebies starting today. The haul includes NFL tickets, concert passes, gift cards, and movie vouchers. While it’s being pitched as a fun perk, it also feels like a bit of damage control after all the backlash over pushing folks off their better legacy plans.
If you want to keep your free Play Pass, you’ll need to activate it by September 22, 2025. After that, it’ll either be dropped or switched to a regular paid subscription.
