Simple App Charged Me Without Asking — What to Do

You downloaded an app called "Simple" and now your bank statement has a charge you did not expect. The irony is not lost on anyone. Simple, the intermittent fasting and nutrition app, is one of the most-searched apps when it comes to surprise charges, and the pattern is consistent: users sign up for what they believe is a free app, complete a quiz, start a trial, and then discover charges of $15-$30 on their statement days or weeks later.

If that charge just appeared and you want to fix it, this guide covers everything you need.

Why Did Simple Charge Me?

Simple uses a free trial to auto-subscription model. The flow works like this:

1. You download Simple and take a fasting and health goals quiz.
2. At the end of the quiz, you are offered a free trial — typically 7 days.
3. To activate the trial, you confirm payment through the App Store or Google Play.
4. When the trial expires, your subscription begins and you are charged automatically.

The critical detail: Simple does not send a notification before your trial converts to a paid subscription. There is no email reminder, no push notification, and no in-app alert. The charge happens silently after the trial period ends.

Many users report that the trial was presented in a way that made them think the app itself was free, with the trial framing buried in smaller text. Others report tapping through the trial confirmation quickly without fully registering that they were authorizing future charges.

How Much Does Simple Charge?

Simple's pricing varies by plan and region:

Simple Plan	Typical Charge	Annual Equivalent
Monthly	$14.99-$29.99/month	$180-$360/year
Quarterly	$29.99-$49.99/quarter	$120-$200/year
Annual	$49.99-$79.99/year	$50-$80/year

If your charge is in the $15-$30 range, you are likely on the monthly plan. If it is $50-$80, you may have been enrolled in the annual plan, which charges the full year upfront.

Note: Some users report being charged a different amount than what they expected based on the trial screen. This can happen when promotional pricing (shown during the trial) reverts to standard pricing at renewal.

How to Cancel Simple on iPhone (iOS)

Deleting the Simple app does not cancel your subscription. You must cancel through Apple's subscription management:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name at the top (Apple ID).
3. Tap Subscriptions.
4. Find Simple in the list.
5. Tap Cancel Subscription.
6. Confirm the cancellation.

Your subscription will show an expiration date instead of a renewal date. Screenshot this confirmation.

Alternative method:

1. Open the App Store.
2. Tap your profile icon (top right).
3. Tap Subscriptions.
4. Find Simple and cancel.

What If Simple Does Not Appear in My Subscriptions?

If you cannot find Simple in your iOS subscriptions:

• Check if you subscribed through the Simple website instead of the App Store.
• Check if the subscription is listed under a different name (the developer name may appear instead of "Simple").
• Try searching your email for a receipt from Apple mentioning Simple.

How to Cancel Simple on Android

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Tap your profile icon (top right).
3. Tap Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions.
4. Find Simple and tap it.
5. Tap Cancel subscription.
6. Follow the confirmation steps.

Verify the subscription shows "Cancelled" with an end date.

How to Get a Refund From Simple

Apple App Store Refund

1. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Find the Simple charge in your purchase history.
4. Select the appropriate reason (e.g., "I didn't intend to purchase this item").
5. Submit.

Apple typically responds within 48 hours. Refunds are more likely when requested within 14 days and when you have not previously requested multiple refunds.

Google Play Refund

1. Visit play.google.com/store/account/orderhistory.
2. Locate the Simple charge.
3. Click Report a problem.
4. Select the reason and submit.

Google processes refund requests within 1-4 business days.

Direct Simple Refund

Contact Simple's support team through the app or via their website. Include your account email, the charge amount, and the date. If you do not receive a response or the refund is denied, you can file a chargeback with your bank or credit card company.

Do I Actually Need a Dedicated Fasting App?

This is worth considering before you replace Simple with another fasting app. Intermittent fasting is fundamentally simple — you eat during certain hours and do not eat during others. The question is whether you need a dedicated app for that.

What a Fasting App Actually Does

• Timer. It counts down your fasting window.
• Schedule options. It offers preset fasting schedules (16:8, 18:6, OMAD, etc.).
• Tracking. It logs your fasting history and streaks.
• Education. It provides articles about fasting science.

Your phone's built-in clock app can set a timer. A note on your phone can track your schedule. The educational content is widely available for free online.

What a Fasting App Does Not Do

• It does not track the nutritional quality of what you eat during your eating window.
• It does not tell you if you are eating too many or too few calories.
• It does not analyze your macronutrient balance.
• It does not help you make better food choices.

This is the fundamental limitation of fasting-only apps: They track when you eat but not what or how much. Research consistently shows that calorie quality and quantity matter as much as — if not more than — meal timing for most health and weight management goals.

What Are the Best Alternatives to Simple?

For Fasting + Nutrition Tracking: Nutrola

Cost: €2.50/month

If you wanted Simple because you are interested in managing your diet and weight, Nutrola addresses the core need — understanding and controlling what you eat — more effectively than a fasting timer:

• AI photo logging. Take a photo of your meal and Nutrola identifies the foods and provides nutritional data. No manual searching through databases.
• Voice logging. Say "I had a chicken breast with rice and broccoli" and it is logged. Faster than any manual method.
• 100% nutritionist-verified database. Every food item is verified by nutrition professionals. Not crowdsourced.
• Barcode scanner for packaged foods.
• Recipe import from social media. Paste a recipe link from TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube for automatic nutritional breakdown.
• No ads on any plan. No upsells. No quiz funnels. No countdown timers.
• iOS and Android.

At €2.50/month, Nutrola costs a fraction of Simple's monthly plan and gives you information that actually impacts your food choices — not just when you eat, but what you eat and how much.

For Fasting Only: Zero (Free)

If all you need is a fasting timer and tracker, Zero does it for free. Clean interface, multiple schedule options, fasting journal, and educational content. No subscription required for the core fasting features.

For Fasting + Calorie Tracking on a Budget

Combination	Monthly Cost	What You Get
Nutrola + Zero	~€2.50/month	AI calorie tracking + fasting timer
MyFitnessPal (free) + Zero	$0/month	Basic calorie tracking + fasting timer (ads on MFP)
Cronometer (free) + Zero	$0/month	Detailed nutrition tracking + fasting timer
Simple (monthly)	$14.99-$29.99/month	Basic calorie tracking + fasting timer

The Nutrola + Zero combination provides superior calorie tracking and equivalent fasting features to Simple for a fraction of the price.

Pricing Comparison: Simple vs Alternatives

App	Monthly Cost	Annual Cost	Fasting Tracker	Calorie Tracking Quality	Ads
Simple	$14.99-$29.99	$49.99-$79.99	Yes	Basic	No (upsells instead)
Nutrola	€2.50	€30	No (pair with Zero)	Advanced — AI photo, voice, verified DB	None
Zero	Free	Free	Yes — excellent	None	Minimal
MyFitnessPal	Free / $19.99	Free / $79.99	No	Good — large crowdsourced database	Yes (free tier)
Lose It!	Free / $3.33	Free / $39.99	Basic	Good	Yes (free tier)

How to Avoid Surprise Charges From Apps in the Future

1. Cancel free trials immediately after starting them. On both iOS and Android, cancelling a trial does not end your access — you keep it until the trial period expires. This eliminates the risk of forgetting to cancel.
2. Search "[app name] charged me" before downloading. If this phrase has thousands of search results, the app has a known billing issue.
3. Read the payment confirmation carefully. Before confirming any trial, look for the renewal price, billing frequency, and conversion date.
4. Review your subscriptions every month. iOS: Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Android: Play Store > Payments & subscriptions.
5. Set a calendar reminder 2 days before any trial ends if you prefer to evaluate before cancelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my money back from Simple?

Yes, through the App Store or Google Play refund process outlined above. Approval is more likely within 14 days of the charge. If the platform denies the refund, contact your bank about filing a chargeback.

I deleted Simple but was charged anyway. Why?

Deleting an app does not cancel its subscription. The billing agreement is between you and Apple or Google, not the app itself. You must cancel through your device's subscription settings.

Is Simple worth keeping at the paid price?

Simple provides a functional fasting timer and basic calorie tracking. At $15-$30/month, you are paying significantly more than alternatives that offer better features. The free Zero app provides equivalent fasting features, and Nutrola at €2.50/month provides vastly superior calorie tracking.

Does intermittent fasting require an app?

No. Intermittent fasting is one of the simplest dietary approaches — you eat during certain hours and fast during others. A phone timer or alarm achieves the core function. Apps add convenience (fasting logs, streaks, education) but are not necessary.

Can I use Simple for free?

Simple has extremely limited free functionality. After the trial, most features are locked. The app is not designed to be usable without a paid subscription. If you want free fasting tracking, Zero is a better option.

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A surprise charge is fixable. Cancel through your device's subscription settings, request a refund through the App Store or Google Play, and consider whether a dedicated fasting app is worth the cost when free and cheaper alternatives exist. Your time and money are better spent on tools that track what you eat, not just when you eat.