diff --git a/src/core/backbone_router/local.cpp b/src/core/backbone_router/local.cpp
index e8bf10470..1863a885e 100644
--- a/src/core/backbone_router/local.cpp
+++ b/src/core/backbone_router/local.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ void Local::SetState(BackboneRouterState aState)
     }
     else if (aState == OT_BACKBONE_ROUTER_STATE_DISABLED)
     {
-        IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllNetworkBackboneRouters));
+        Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllNetworkBackboneRouters);
     }
 
     if (mState == OT_BACKBONE_ROUTER_STATE_PRIMARY)
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ void Local::ApplyMeshLocalPrefix(void)
 {
     VerifyOrExit(IsEnabled(), OT_NOOP);
 
-    IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllNetworkBackboneRouters));
+    Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllNetworkBackboneRouters);
     mAllNetworkBackboneRouters.GetAddress().SetMulticastNetworkPrefix(Get<Mle::MleRouter>().GetMeshLocalPrefix());
     Get<ThreadNetif>().SubscribeMulticast(mAllNetworkBackboneRouters);
 
@@ -370,13 +370,13 @@ void Local::UpdateAllDomainBackboneRouters(Leader::DomainPrefixState aState)
 {
     if (!IsEnabled())
     {
-        IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllDomainBackboneRouters));
+        Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllDomainBackboneRouters);
         ExitNow();
     }
 
     if (aState == Leader::kDomainPrefixRemoved || aState == Leader::kDomainPrefixRefreshed)
     {
-        IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllDomainBackboneRouters));
+        Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mAllDomainBackboneRouters);
     }
 
     if (aState == Leader::kDomainPrefixAdded || aState == Leader::kDomainPrefixRefreshed)
diff --git a/src/core/net/netif.cpp b/src/core/net/netif.cpp
index bf9ea49ca..ad3fe6676 100644
--- a/src/core/net/netif.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/netif.cpp
@@ -316,11 +316,9 @@ exit:
     return;
 }
 
-otError Netif::UnsubscribeMulticast(const NetifMulticastAddress &aAddress)
+void Netif::UnsubscribeMulticast(const NetifMulticastAddress &aAddress)
 {
-    otError error;
-
-    SuccessOrExit(error = mMulticastAddresses.Remove(aAddress));
+    SuccessOrExit(mMulticastAddresses.Remove(aAddress));
 
     Get<Notifier>().Signal(OT_CHANGED_IP6_MULTICAST_UNSUBSCRIBED);
 
@@ -328,7 +326,7 @@ otError Netif::UnsubscribeMulticast(const NetifMulticastAddress &aAddress)
     mAddressCallback(&aAddress.mAddress, kMulticastPrefixLength, /* IsAdded */ false, mAddressCallbackContext);
 
 exit:
-    return error;
+    return;
 }
 
 otError Netif::GetNextExternalMulticast(uint8_t &aIterator, Address &aAddress) const
diff --git a/src/core/net/netif.hpp b/src/core/net/netif.hpp
index ae3fd90e2..7d690a032 100644
--- a/src/core/net/netif.hpp
+++ b/src/core/net/netif.hpp
@@ -317,11 +317,8 @@ public:
      *
      * @param[in]  aAddress  A reference to the multicast address.
      *
-     * @retval OT_ERROR_NONE       Successfully unsubscribed @p aAddress.
-     * @retval OT_ERROR_NOT_FOUND  The multicast address was not found.
-     *
      */
-    otError UnsubscribeMulticast(const NetifMulticastAddress &aAddress);
+    void UnsubscribeMulticast(const NetifMulticastAddress &aAddress);
 
     /**
      * This method provides the next external multicast address that the network interface subscribed.
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
index 581d06c5b..939833a15 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
@@ -301,8 +301,8 @@ void Mle::Stop(bool aClearNetworkDatasets)
 
     Get<KeyManager>().Stop();
     SetStateDetached();
-    IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mRealmLocalAllThreadNodes));
-    IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mLinkLocalAllThreadNodes));
+    Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mRealmLocalAllThreadNodes);
+    Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mLinkLocalAllThreadNodes);
     Get<ThreadNetif>().RemoveUnicastAddress(mMeshLocal16);
     Get<ThreadNetif>().RemoveUnicastAddress(mMeshLocal64);
 
@@ -914,8 +914,8 @@ void Mle::SetMeshLocalPrefix(const MeshLocalPrefix &aMeshLocalPrefix)
         // We must remove the old addresses before adding the new ones.
         Get<ThreadNetif>().RemoveUnicastAddress(mMeshLocal64);
         Get<ThreadNetif>().RemoveUnicastAddress(mMeshLocal16);
-        IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mLinkLocalAllThreadNodes));
-        IgnoreError(Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mRealmLocalAllThreadNodes));
+        Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mLinkLocalAllThreadNodes);
+        Get<ThreadNetif>().UnsubscribeMulticast(mRealmLocalAllThreadNodes);
     }
 
     mMeshLocal64.GetAddress().SetPrefix(aMeshLocalPrefix);
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_netif.cpp b/tests/unit/test_netif.cpp
index dbfcc869f..28891f545 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_netif.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/test_netif.cpp
@@ -185,11 +185,11 @@ void TestNetifMulticastAddresses(void)
     netif.UnsubscribeAllExternalMulticastAddresses();
     VerifyMulticastAddressList(netif, &addresses[2], 4);
 
-    SuccessOrQuit(netif.UnsubscribeMulticast(netifAddress), "UnsubscribeMulticast() failed");
+    netif.UnsubscribeMulticast(netifAddress);
     VerifyMulticastAddressList(netif, &addresses[2], 3);
 
-    VerifyOrQuit(netif.UnsubscribeMulticast(netifAddress) == OT_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
-                 "UnsubscribeMulticast() did not fail when address was not subscribed");
+    netif.UnsubscribeMulticast(netifAddress);
+    VerifyMulticastAddressList(netif, &addresses[2], 3);
 
     SuccessOrQuit(netif.UnsubscribeAllNodesMulticast(), "UnsubscribeAllNodesMulticast() failed");
     VerifyMulticastAddressList(netif, NULL, 0);