17+ Common HBO Max Problems & Fixes [Ultimate Guide]

Written by Christoffer K in Tech Guide

HBO Max has proven to be a great competitor to other OTT giants since its launch in 2020 but that doesn’t mean you won’t face any problems while streaming on their platform.

hbo-max-problems

There are a few issues you may face on HBO Max and that’s what we’re going to discuss today in detail.

Here are the Most common HBO Max problems and solutions:

These are some of the common HBO problems you may face occasionally while streaming any content on the platform.

Wondering how you can fix these things? Continue reading and you’ll know exactly what you can do to get rid of these issues.

Let’s get started.

1. Is HBO Max Down?

To know if HBO Max is Down right now, simply visit downdetector then status, and then hbo-max and you’ll know exactly whether HBO Max is facing any server-related issues in your current location.

 

One of the most common issues faced by a lot of HBO Max subscribers is downtime.

Even though the chances of facing this situation are relatively low, it is quite annoying because you may have already scheduled to watch something at that time and now, you have to wait for some time until HBO fixes the issue.

Alternatively, you can also take a look at the social media handles of HBO if they have posted any status regarding the server issues.

If they have posted any similar status, they may have already started their work to fix the issue and the issue will be gone quickly.

2. HBO Max can’t play title

To fix HBO Max can’t play title, just log out from your HBO Max account and then sign in again with your account details. If that doesn’t fix the issue, you should clear the cache of your web browser and try playing it again.

Sign in again on HBO Max:

If you have got an “HBO Max can’t play title” error, it is most probably because of account-related issues. Just logging out and signing in again with your account details will most probably fix this issue.

Another reason for getting this error could be because of an excessive amount of cache on your web browser. You should clear it ASAP to play your favorite title on HBO Max.

The process of clearing the cache of a web browser is slightly different hence, I’m sharing how you can do that in 2 of the most popular web browsers out there i.e Chrome and Firefox.

Clearing the cache on Google Chrome:

To clear the cache on Chrome, you have to:

  1. Launch the browser and press CTRL+H.
  2. Click on the “Clear browsing data” option located on the left.
  3. Now, select “Cached images and files” and then tap on “Clear data” to complete the process.

Clearing cache on Firefox

To clear the cache on Mozilla Firefox, you have to:

  1. Launch the browser, click on the options button at the top right, and then select “Settings”.

  2. Click on the “Privacy and Security” option located on the left side.

  3. Scroll down and select “Clear data” from the Cookies and Site Data section.

  4. Finally, select “Cached web content” to complete the process.

I hope after clearing the cache of your web browser, you can access HBO Max without any lags or errors.

3. HBO Max app not working

To fix the HBO Max app not working, you can:

  1. Update the app.
  2. Clear the cache of the app.
  3. Re-install the app.

Updating the HBO Max app:

To update the HBO Max app on your device, you have to:

  • Open Google Play Store or any other app store on your device’s platform.
  • Type HBO Max in the search bar.
  • Click on the “Update” button and wait for some time to download and install the update.

It doesn’t matter If you are using an Android or iOS device, you should always update the app when you get a notification about it, and the reason for doing this is pretty straightforward.

With an updated app, you get better features, enhanced security, and most importantly, developers fix bugs in the previous version of the app.

If you can’t see the “Update” option, it means the app is already updated and you have to find any other way to fix the app not working issue.

Clearing the cache of HBO Max:

To clear the cache of HBO Max on Android, go to “Settings> Apps > All Apps > HBO Max > Storage & Cache > Clear cache” and confirm the action.

Unfortunately, clearing the cache on iPhone is not available at the moment, however, you can offload the app for some time and then re-install the app. The process seems different than clearing the cache but it gets the job done for you like deleting the temporary files.

This will make sure that you can watch the HBO Max app on your device smoothly without any errors.

Reinstalling HBO Max

If the HBO Max app is not working properly on your device, you should simply uninstall and then reinstall the app to eliminate any kind of glitch of the app.

Sometimes, the HBO Max app on your phone or tablet may go through a glitch of which you might not be aware and it is a good idea to just uninstall and then reinstall to ensure that there is no glitch in the app.

4. HBO Max keeps buffering

To fix HBO Max keeps buffering, you should simply switch using Wireless Network (Wi-Fi) to Wired (Ethernet) and try playing the video again.

Just like any other online streaming service, buffering on HBO Max has a lot to do with poor internet connection and it could be the major reason behind this.

To fix this issue, you should connect to the Internet via Ethernet instead of connecting it from your Wi-Fi network.

If you already don’t know, let me tell you that Ethernet is always a better choice for streaming than Wi-Fi because of its reliability and consistent speed.

I’m pretty sure that these tips are going to be really helpful to overcome HBO Max buffering issues.

5. HBO Max no picture but sound

To fix HBO Max no picture but the sound issue, you need to ensure that you have a strong internet connection and replace the HDMI cable if it is damaged.

Testing Internet Connection

To test your internet connection, you have to:

  1. Visit Speedtest.net or download their app.

  2. Bring your streaming device closer to the Wi-Fi router.

  3. Start your speed test and wait for the results.

If you are able to hear sound on HBO Max but can’t watch videos, it is one of the signs of a weak or inconsistent internet connection.

Without a strong network, it is not possible to watch any content of HBO Max.

What you need to do right now, is check the results you get on the Speedtest app or website and then compare them with your current bandwidth plan.

If you don’t see a big difference between the speed test result and the bandwidth, your internet is working perfectly fine.

If the difference is quite huge, it is clear that your internet is going through some technical issues. Restart your Wi-Fi router and see If you are able to fix the issue.

If you are still having the same problem, I would suggest you get in touch with your ISP and let them know about your situation.

Replace the HDMI cable

If you can’t watch videos on HBO Max but the sound is audible, it is a clear sign that your HDMI cable may have been damaged and you should replace it ASAP.

HDMI cable doesn’t get damaged quite often but If yours have got damaged by any chance, you must replace it as soon as possible If you want to watch videos on HBO Max.

Don’t worry, you can get a new HDMI cable for $10 or even less on Amazon.

6. HBO Max volume low

To fix HBO Max volume low error, you can:

  • Ensure that the volume hasn’t been set to zero or muted.
  • Inspect the cables of external speakers.

Checking the volume

To check the volume of HBO Max, make use of the remote control of your TV and press the up button or use the app If you are using Firestick or Roku.

This might seem like a basic thing but a lot of us forget to check this simple stuff and gets confused. Intentionally or Unintentionally many people set the volume down to zero or mute the TV by mistake and forget about it.

Simply press the up button and If you do really have muted or set the volume to low, the issue of low volume on HBO Max will be fixed in just 5 seconds and if that’s not the case, don’t worry, there are a few other ways to solve the problem.

Inspecting the cables of external speakers

If you have got an HBO Max volume low issue, you should inspect the cables of the external speakers and ensure it is in working condition. If the cables are in a good condition, make sure that there are no loose ends in either your TV or the speakers.

A lot of us like to enjoy the movies and web shows via external speakers and if you are one of them, you should inspect whether the cables of those speakers are in a good condition and you have inserted it on both ends i.e TV and speakers firmly.

I’m pretty sure that you will be able to increase the volume on HBO Max by doing either of these I have mentioned above.

7. HBO Max no sound

To fix HBO Max no sound problem, you can:

  • Check the volume.
  • Inspect the HDMI cable.

Checking the volume of HBO Max

To check the volume of HBO Max, you just have to simply press the volume up button and you can confirm whether you have turned it to completely low or muted.

If you can’t get any audio while streaming HBO Max, there is no need to panic at all. First, you need to ensure that you haven’t turned down the volume to zero or turned on the mute. In either of these cases, you can adjust the volume and fix the issue in just a second.

Inspecting the HDMI cable:

If the volume is set perfectly on HBO Max but you can’t hear anything, make sure to inspect the HDMI properly and see if there is any damage to it.

Even If you notice even small damage, I would highly recommend you replace it as soon as possible to avoid any further issues with your device.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have any of these two issues, chances are there might be some technical glitch on the HBO servers.

Simply log out from your HBO Max account and then sign in your account details and then, you can stream on HBO Max without any audio issues.

8. HBO now an error has occurred please try again later

If you have got the “HBO now an error has occurred please try again later” message, you should update the app, restart your device or try playing any other title.

Updating HBO Max app

To update HBO Max, you have to:

  1. Open the App Store of your device.
  2. Type “HBO Max” in the search bar.
  3. Select the right option from the list.
  4. Click on the “Update” option if it is available else, leave it as it is.

The chances of getting an “HBO now an error has occurred please try again later” message is quite high If you are using an outdated version of HBO Max. Simply updating the app will get rid of this message and then you can use the app as usual.

Restarting device

To fix the “HBO now an error has occurred please try again later” message, you should restart your device by pressing the power button for a few seconds and tapping on the “Restart” option.

If there are multiple apps running in the background on your phone or tablet, it may go through some technical errors and it could the major reason behind getting the error you have got right now.

A simple restart of your device will help you disappear this error and then you can watch anything on HBO Max peacefully.

9. HBO Max sound cuts out

In order to fix HBO Max sound cuts out, you should:

  • Disable Bluetooth on any of your nearby device.
  • Clear the cache of the app.

Disabling Bluetooth

To disable Bluetooth on your device, you have to:

  1. Open the “Settings” on your phone or tablet.
  2. Tap on “Bluetooth & Connection”.
  3. Finally, turn off the Bluetooth.

You might be watching a movie or listening to any music on your device via a Bluetooth headset and chances are, you might not have disconnected from that headset properly.

Just turning off Bluetooth on your phone or tablet will ensure that you get clear-cut audio while watching anything on HBO Max. It won’t take more than a minute to do and I would suggest you don’t ignore this simple stuff.

Clearing the cache of the HBO Max app

To clear the cache on the HBO Max app on your Android device, you have to:

  1. Open the “Settings” on your phone.

  2. Scroll down and tap on “Apps & Notifications”.

  3. Click on “See All Apps”.

  4. Select “HBO Max” from the list of apps.
  5. Now, tap on “Storage & Cache”.
  6. Finally, click on “Clear Cache” and confirm the action.

Clearing the cache fixes a lot of issues including any sound-related issues and that’s the reason I suggest you clear the cache of HBO Max.

As I said earlier, clearing the cache on iPhone is not possible and you’ll have to find any other way to fix the issue on iPhone or contact the HBO team and they’ll help you out.

10. Why does HBO Max keep freezing

The reason Why does HBO Max keep freezing while watching any movie or a show is, because of server issues or slow internet connection. To fix this issue, you have to check the server status of HBO Max or restart your Wi-Fi router.

Checking the server status of HBO Max.

To check the server status of HBO Max, you have to:

  1. Open any web browser and type downdetector.
  2. Type “HBO Max” in the search box and hit enter.
  3. Now, you’ll know exactly If the HBO Max is facing any server issues or not.

Downtime of the server is quite inevitable even for a giant company like HBO. If the HBO Max keeps freezing in the middle of streaming any of your favorite movies or a web show, chances are it may face some server issues.

Downdetector is an excellent service that can let you know about the server status of almost any of the sites including HBO Max.

If the servers of HBO Max are actually down, you need to wait for some time until HBO fixes it.

Alternately, you can leave a comment on downdetector and HBO will reply to the comment to help you out.

Fix slow internet connection

To fix a slow internet connection, you have to:

  • Restart your Wi-Fi router.
  • Power cycle both modem and Wi-Fi router.
  • Update the firmware of your Wi-Fi router.

If you are having slow internet, streaming on HBO Max or any other service is not going to be easy. It’ll keep freezing and you will eventually get frustrated. One of the simple fix to this problem is, restarting your Wi-Fi router.

If that doesn’t help you, you need to power cycle both the modem and the Wi-Fi router.

To power cycle the modem and Wi-Fi router, you have to:

  • Turn off both modem and Wi-Fi router.
  • Unplug the cable of these devices from the power outlet.
  • Press and hold the power button of both devices for 15 seconds and then release it.
  • Finally, turn on your modem and Wi-Fi router.

Power cycling is a process of eliminating residual power from electronic devices and in most cases, it helps to fix any technical errors of the devices.

If the modem or your Wi-Fi router is having any technical issues, this helps you fix it and you’ll be able to stream on HBO Max without any disturbance.

Update router’s firmware:

To update your router’s firmware, you have to:

  1. Visit the official website of the router’s company.
  2. Download the router’s latest firmware from the options.
  3. Visit the router’s management page.
  4. Finally, select the latest firmware which you have recently downloaded and reboot your Wi-Fi router.

To know the router’s management page, open the command prompt on your PC and type “IPCONFIG” and copy-paste that address into your web browser.

I’m sure you may have fixed the freezing issue of HBO Max by following any of these methods.

11. Fix HBO Max poor streaming quality

To fix HBO Max poor streaming quality, just upgrade your plan from mobile to HD plan and then you’ll be able to watch your favorite contents of HBO Max in high quality.

If you have been thinking to change the video quality from low to medium or high similar to YouTube, I’m sorry to say that you can’t do that on HBO Max because it automatically selects the quality based on your current plan and internet bandwidth.

The only thing you can do right now to watch the contents of HBO Max on HD or even 4k is to opt for the standard plan or else you have to stream with SD quality.

Apart from getting better quality with the standard plan, you can also download up to 30 titles on your device compared to 5 titles on the mobile plan.

12. Fix HBO Max keeps crashing

To fix HBO Max keeps crashing problem, you should check If you are using the updated version of the HBO Max app.

One of the most common reasons why HBO Max keeps crashing is, because of an outdated app.

Just open the Play Store or App Store and search “HBO Max” and see if it needs to be updated or not.

If the app is already updated, you have to find any other way to solve this issue.

13. Fix HBO Max error code 905

To fix HBO Max Error Code 905, you should disable any VPNs you are using right now or see If the servers of HBO Max are working fine on downdetector

The Error Code 905 could occur on HBO Max because of using any VPNs and to be exact, setting the VPN location where HBO Max has not launched yet.

Currently, HBO Max is available in the United States and a few other European countries.

I would advise you to turn on the VPN by setting the location of only those countries and you won’t face the Error Code 905 anymore.

Alternately, you can check if the servers of HBO Max are running fine by visiting downdetector.

It’ll let you know exactly If the servers are currently down or having any technical issues. If the servers are actually down, you can’t do much about it other than waiting for some more time.

14. HBO Max HDCP error

To fix the HBO Max HDCP error, you can:

  1. Turn off your TV, unplug it, and then turn it on.
  2. Try using HDMI 2.0+ cable.
  3. Update the web browser.
  4. Use a different browser.

Getting an HDCP error is not very common however, I suppose you might be one of those rare people who may have got this error.

What is HDCP anyway?

High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) is a program developed by Intel to protect audio and video content from copying.

If you still want more info about HDCP, you should definitely watch the below video.

Video by: YouTube.com/ OREI

If your device and cables don’t meet the HDCP 2.1+ compliant requirements, you’ll get the HDCP error in most cases.

If you have got this error on your TV, power cycling will most probably get rid of this issue.

Power Cycling your TV

To power cycle a TV, you have to:

  • Turn off the TV completely.
  • Unplug the TV from the power source.
  • Press and hold the power button on the TV for about 10 seconds and release it.
  • Plug the TV back into the power source and turn it on.

If you are using a phone or a tablet for HBO Max, restarting your device will probably fix the issue.

You need also make sure that you are using an HDMI 2.0+ cable for your TV and if that is an older one, you should replace it with the newer one ASAP.

In case, If you have got the HDCP error on your PC or laptop, you should simply update your web browser and if that doesn’t help you get rid of this error, give it a try to a different browser and see If you are able to fix the error.

15. HBO Max not working on Samsung TV

To fix HBO Max not working on Samsung TV, you should update the Samsung TV, test your internet connection,  and if that doesn’t solve the issue, check if the servers of HBO Max are working fine.

Updating the Samsung TV

To update your Samsung TV, you have to:

  • Open the “Settings” on your TV.

  • Tap on the “Support” option.

  • Now, select the “Software Update” and then “Update Now”.

  • Confirm the update process and the TV will reboot once the update is completed.

Sometimes the outdated firmware of your Samsung TV may cause some issues and you can’t stream HBO Max on it. Just making sure that your Samsung TV is updated will save a lot of your time and you can start watching HBO Max on your Samsung again.

Testing Internet Connection on Samsung TV

  • Open any web browser on your Samsung TV.
  • Enter speedtest.net in the URL bar and hit “Go”.
  • Wait for the results to load and check if the speed of your internet is usual or is slow.

Just like watching HBO Max on any other TV, If you don’t have high-speed internet, you can’t stream anything on your Samsung.

Just double-check the speed results with your internet plan and If you notice slow internet, contact your ISP and they’ll take care of it.

16. HBO Max stuck on the loading screen

To fix HBO Max stuck on the loading screen, you need to ensure that your internet is working properly and is good enough for streaming.

The most common reason for getting the “HBO Max stuck on the loading screen” issue is a weak internet connection.

Even If your internet is working, If you have a low bandwidth i.e less than 25 Mbps, streaming on HBO Max is quite difficult.

There are 2 things you can do right now i.e testing your internet connection and checking the current bandwidth.

If you have any one of these problems, you’ll have to get in touch with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and take the necessary action like fixing the slow internet or changing the bandwidth plan.

17. HBO Max not working on firestick

To fix If HBO Max is not working on Firestick, just restart it or uninstall it and then re-install the HBO Max app on your Firestick.

Restarting Firestick

To restart your Firestick, you have to:

  1. Open the home screen on your Firestick.
  2. Tap on the “Settings” option.
  3. Now, click on “My Fire TV” from the options.
  4. Finally, select “Restart” and you are done.

Sometimes background apps on Firestick could cause some problems and because of that, HBO Max may face some issues like the one you are having right now.

To fix this issue, simply restart your Firestick and you’ll be free from this error quickly.

If you want to know a few more ways to restart your Firestick, I would suggest you watch the below video.

Video by: YouTube.com/ WorldofTech

Uninstall HBO Max on Firestick

To uninstall HBO Max on Firestick, you have to:

  1. Launch the “Settings” app and then select “Applications”.
  2. Now, select “Manage Installed Applications” from the multiple options.
  3. Finally, scroll down and select “HBO Max” and select “Uninstall” to remove the app from Firestick.

Once you have uninstalled the HBO Max from your Firestick, download the app again and you’ll be able to use the app like you always do. However, there you may face another issue – Oops something went wrong with HBO max.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is the minimum speed for streaming on HBO Max?

To stream seamlessly on HBO Max, you need to have an internet plan with at least 25 Mbps.

If you have a plan with more than 25 Mbps, you can expect an even smoother experience.

2. Can I change the video quality on HBO Max?

No, you can’t change the video quality on HBO Max manually.

If you want to watch movies or web shows with better video quality, you need to opt for a different plan.

3. What happens if I clear cache on HBO Max?

If you clear the cache on HBO Max, you will be removing temporary files from your device which improves the streaming experience for you.

Final Words:

HBO Max has already impressed their subscribers with the quality of its service still, getting a few errors once in a while is quite inevitable.

I have tried my best to share some of the common HBO Max Problems and their solutions. If this post was helpful to you in any way, please share your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll get back to you very soon. Cheers!

Christoffer K

Christoffer is the man behind Gaming Simplified. He has been an avid gamer and Tech lover and that has motivated him to share All Things Tech on this blog!

Recent Posts