Disney Plus and Hulu will no longer allow sign-ups through Apple.

Users who wish to subscribe to Disney Plus or Hulu from their iPhone will no longer be able to do so through the iOS apps. According to updated support documents, both new and existing subscribers will need to complete the sign-up process on the websites of these platforms, instead of doing so within the apps.

When trying to access my Disney Plus account in the app, after entering my email and password, I received a message stating: "Unfortunately, this app does not support in-app sign-up. Complete your account setup on the website. Create and manage your account at disneyplus.com/next." The same happens with the Hulu app, which also redirects users to its website if they attempt to log in without an active subscription.

This change appears to be motivated by the companies' desire to prevent Apple from receiving a share of the revenue generated from new subscriptions. However, existing subscribers who signed up through Apple will continue to receive their bills through the same channel.

Disney thus becomes the latest company to decide to block new sign-ups through its iOS apps. Netflix did the same in 2018 and more recently also removed Apple billing for existing subscribers. For its part, Spotify has also chosen not to allow subscriptions through its iOS app, including a humorous message acknowledging that "we know, it's not ideal."