Wondering why HBO Max is not playing any movies?
HBO or Home Box Office is an American cable and satellite TV network that has been the best provider of premium and quality movies and TV shows for about 50 years now. They are responsible for shows like Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, The Sopranos, Chernobyl, and more.
Recently, they launched a movie streaming service called HBO Max, and it reached more than 44 million subscribers a year after its release.
Although HBO Max is a stable platform, some users report issues on both the app and website from time to time.
One of the most common issues on HBO Max is that the platform refuses to play any movies. An outage usually causes this problem on HBO Max’s servers or an issue with the user’s streaming device.
Since this problem doesn’t give out a specific error code or point out a particular issue, troubleshooting can be time-consuming and confusing.
Luckily, we are here to help.
Today, we will show you what to do if HBO Max is not playing any movies on your device.
Let’s begin!
1. Check HBO Max Servers.
When you encounter issues on HBO Max, the first thing that should come to your mind is to check the servers. Since HBO Max is an online platform, its servers play a vital role in keeping the app and website available.
To check the status of HBO Max, you can use third-party tools like Downdetector. It is a website that gives out information about applications like HBO Max, Disney+, Netflix, and more.
If the servers are down, the best thing that you can do is to wait for HBO to address the problem.
However, you can still try the rest of the methods below and hope that one of them works out.
2. Check If Your Device Is Supported.
If you just downloaded HBO Max on your device and did not play any movies, the platform may not support your system. To confirm this, visit the Help Center and refer to HBO Max’s list of supported devices.
If it is not on the list, you can try using a web browser to access HBO Max or get a new device supported by the platform.
3. Re-Login to Your Account.
An unexpected error may have occurred on your HBO Max account, which prevents the app from playing any movies. To fix this, sign out of your current session and log back in after a few minutes to refresh your user data.
On Android and iOS, you can log out of your device by doing the following:
- First, open the HBO Max on your streaming device.
- Next, tap on your Profile and go to the Settings.
- Lastly, tap the Sign Out button at the bottom of the page.
If you are on a browser, check out the guide below to log out of your account:
- On your browser, go to the HBO Max website
- After that, click on your Profile.
- Finally, click on the Sign Out button on the drop-down menu.
After logging out of your account, wait for 2-3 minutes before signing back in. Try playing another movie afterwards to check if the problem is solved.
4. Check and Reset Your Internet.
To enjoy HD movies on HBO Max, you need to have at least 5 Mbps of internet bandwidth. If your network doesn’t reach this speed, movies and other shows may not load or stream in a lower resolution.
Run a speed test on your network using Fast.com to check if your internet connection is the problem.
If the result shows that your connection is the problem, restart your network router to re-establish the link with your ISP’s servers. Unplug your router’s power cable from the outlet and allow 5 to 10 seconds to pass before plugging it back in.
Once done, run another test on your network to check if the problem is solved. Contact your internet service provider if your connection continues to run slow or upgrade your current subscription if it is below 5 Mbps.
5. Turn Off VPN.
Virtual private networks or VPNs are third-party tools that protect your network from hackers and bypass restrictions set by your ISP. They work by randomly changing your IP address to hide your actual location and filter your data to mask sensitive information like bank accounts and credit card numbers.
However, some VPNs don’t work efficiently and could cause interruptions to your network. This makes it difficult for HBO Max to connect with its servers and load the movie you are trying to watch.
To fix this, disable your VPN first before accessing HBO Max.
On the other hand, you can try switching to PureVPN if your current VPN keeps giving you problems. Compared to other services, PureVPN works well with other applications and keeps your network stable while protecting your data.
If you live outside the US, please visit our guide on how you can access HBO Max outside the US.
6. Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies.
Browsers store temporary data on your device called caches and cookies, which helps load websites faster. However, caches and cookies accumulate over time and could become corrupted.
If this happens, your device may struggle to load websites and their contents.
Follow the steps below to clear your browsing data:
- On your browser, click on the Options button and access the Settings.
- After that, go to Privacy and Security and click on Clear Browsing Data.
- Include caches and cookies in the process and change the Time Range to All Time.
- Finally, click the Clear Data button to start the process.
After clearing your browsing data, go back to HBO Max, log in to your account, and check if the problem is solved.
7. Disable Browser Extensions.
If you use browser extensions, turn them off before accessing HBO Max. Some extensions may not be compatible with HBO Max, especially those that manage video playback and network bandwidth.
See the steps below to turn off your browser extensions:
- First, open your web browser and access its Settings page.
- Next, click on the Extensions tab located on the side menu to manage your browser extensions.
- Lastly, disable all your extensions and restart your web browser.
Once done, go back to HBO Max to check if the problem is solved.
8. Clear HBO Max App Data (Android).
Application data contains crucial data needed by apps to run correctly. However, app data can accumulate over time or become corrupted. Thankfully, Android users can clear application data if apps like HBO Max are not working correctly.
Check out the steps below to guide you on the process:
- On your Android device, go to the app drawer and tap on Settings.
- After that, find the Apps or Applications tab and access it.
- Now, tap on HBO Max.
- Finally, tap on the Storage tab and press the Clear Data button to start the process.
After clearing HBO Max app data, go back to your account to check if the problem is solved.
9. Update HBO Max.
Like any other platform, HBO Max needs to be updated to ensure that bugs and glitches are getting patched. Updates are also crucial to keep the application optimized for old and newer devices.
If you cannot play any movies on HBO Max, follow the steps below to update the app.
For Android devices:
- First, open Google Play Store on your device and tap on your Profile.
- Go to My Apps & Games afterward and find HBO Max.
- Lastly, tap the Update button next to HBO Max to install the update.
For iOS devices:
- On your device, tap on the App Store from the home screen to launch it.
- After that, tap on your Profile and locate HBO Max.
- Finally, tap the Update button to download the latest version of HBO Max.
After updating the app, go back to the media library to check if you can now play movies on HBO Max.
If you are using a different device, please visit the Help Center to know how you can update HBO Max on your system.
10. Update Your Device.
If updating HBO Max did not resolve the issue, try to check if there are available updates for your device. Your system may need an update to resolve underlying problems related to video playbacks.
On Android, you can update its OS by doing the following steps:
- Open Settings on your Android device and scroll down to the bottom.
- Now, tap on About or About Phone and select Software Update.
- Finally, press the Download and Install button if there is an available update.
For iOS users, follow the guide below to update your system:
- First, unlock your iOS device and open the Settings.
- After that, tap on General and go to Software Updates.
- Lastly, tap Download and Install to complete the process.
For other devices, please refer to your user manual on how you can update your system.
Once done, go back to HBO Max to check if the problem is solved.
11. Reinstall HBO Max.
The HBO Max app on your device may not be installed correctly, or some of its files got corrupted when the servers went down. To fix this, reinstall the app on your device to ensure that you have a working copy.
For Android users, see the steps below to reinstall HBO Max:
- On your device, go to the app drawer and locate the HBO Max app.
- Next, press and hold its app icon until the options screen shows up.
- After that, tap on Uninstall to delete the application.
- Finally, go to the Play Store and reinstall HBO Max from there.
On iOS, follow the guide below to reinstall HBO Max:
- First, access your home screen and find the HBO Max app.
- Now, tap and hold its icon to open the selection menu.
- Tap on Remove App and follow the on-screen prompts to delete HBO Max on your device.
- Once done, open the App Store on your device and reinstall the app from there.
If you are using a different device, look for the specific guide on the Help Center to reinstall HBO Max.
After reinstalling HBO Max, log back into your account and check if HBO Max is still not playing any movies on your device.
12. Report the Problem to HBO Max.
If none of the methods above worked for you, we suggest you visit the Help Center and contact their customer support. Report the problem you’ve been experiencing on their platform and provide all the necessary details to speed up the process.
On the other hand, you can also check our detailed guide on what to do if you cannot play anything on HBO Max.
This sums up our guide for fixing HBO Max if it is not playing any movies. For your questions and other concerns, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to help you out.
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