HBO not working: common problems and solutions

Common and general errors

When we use a streaming platform, nothing should go wrong if we are using one of the many applications that are published for both mobile phones and tablets, computers, consoles and operating systems for set-top boxes (STB), such as Android TV, Google TV and so on. of course Apple‘s tvOS or the FireOS of the TV Sticks that Amazon sells. In all these cases, nothing should fail as long as we are certain that we have taken a series of measures that are necessary to maintain the good health of streaming. And they are these.

Is your device compatible with HBO Max?

First of all we are going to see if the device from which you want to play the content of the platform is compatible . Because the same thing we are thinking about some incidents that have a very simple diagnosis: you have to change your smartphone, tablet, Smart TV, STB or video game console. So here we leave you all the minimum requirements necessary to enjoy HBO Max on each platform:

Smartphones and tablets

• iPhone running iOS 12.2
• iPad running iPadOS 12.2
• Android : version 5 or later.

Computers

• PC with Windows 7 or later.
• Mac with macOS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or later.

SmartTV

• Android TV : version 5.0 or later.
• Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD with the latest version of tvOS.
• Fire TV : Neither Amazon nor HBO Max specify a minimum version on their official support page, only stating that “varies by device.”
• Samsung TV from 2016 or later.
• LG Smart TV with webOS 3.5 or later.

Do you have the application updated?

If from one day to the next you verify that the thing does not work well and through you you have not touched anything essential to the system, the same error is in the version that you are trying to run , which is not the last one published by HBO Max and , therefore, there is no way to access or play the content from their servers. So the first thing you should do is go to the app store of the device you are trying to view the content on and check that you have the latest app installed. Yes? Well, we move on to the next point.

You have internet?

The second option that we must attend to if HBO Max does not work for us and we have it updated to the latest version is to confirm that the device from which we connect has internet at a speed compatible with the service. In other words, not only do we have a connection, but it is ready to receive the amount of data that a real-time transmission needs. To do this, exit the HBO Max application and check that any other you have is loading without problems (for example, the browser and a website that you know never fails). If the result is that nothing is working, you have already found the problem.

If you also want to perform a speed test , you will be able to know the quality at which you are going to watch the series and movies.

Is HBO Max down?

If the two previous points are not the problem, then you have to go see if HBO Max is to blame for the errors in the service and, yes, unlike Netflix, there is no page where they tell us if the servers are down or no . So we recommend you look at pages that monitor this activity and can detect an incident so that we find out that the fault lies in the hands of the service provider.

Sign out and restart the device

Once all of the above does not seem to be the source of the problem, we will look for a solution that HBO Max itself offers on its support page, such as logging out of our account and restarting the device. This operation could allow us to regenerate our profile data, which may have been corrupted and prevent the normal functioning, in this case, of HBO Max.

So to sign out of your account in the HBO Max app, you need to do the following:

• Access the Settings on your mobile, tablet, computer, web browser, Smart TV, STB or video game console.
• Click on Close session to unlink your account.
• Now turn off the device.
• Wait 10 seconds before turning it back on.
• Open the HBO Max app.
• Sign in and check if all errors are gone.

Clear the app cache

In the case of Android, we have another alternative such as deleting the temporary data generated by the application with each use we make , in such a way that as time goes by it is possible that they become corrupted. That causes a bug that prevents you from seeing anything. So grab your Google OS device (mobile or tablet) and do the following. Of course, remember that your OS installation has the phone’s menus somewhat changed compared to what we indicate just below:

• Go to the Settings of your device.
• Now look for the Applications option.
• Look for HBO Max in the list of all that appear (in alphabetical order).
• Once inside, go to the Storage section.
• At the bottom you will see the possibility to delete the cache data. Tap on Clear Cache .
• Go back to HBO Max and check that the glitches are gone.

Reinstall the app

Until now we have tried to solve the problems without touching the application itself, since we assume that it does not have any functioning problem but, as it happened with the temporary data in the cache, what if the installation is not as it should be? So the next thing is to delete it following the instructions on how to do it in each of the operating systems where we can use it, that is, mobile phones, tablets, computers, Smart TVs, video game consoles or HDMI and STB keys.

Problems with HBO Max on Samsung Smart TV

Samsung has officially recognized a way to fix problems in the event that HBO Max fails to install correctly on the television (models between 2016 and 2021) and even fails to do so. So if this is your case, remember the steps you must follow. Look:

• Perform a Smart Hub reset by accessing the Smart TV Menu .
• Now select the Settings option.
• Then click on Smart Hub .
• Select Smart Hub Reset .
• Now try to install the HBO Max app again.

If the error persists, then we will have to carry out another process that is to carry out a self-diagnosis of the Smart TV. To do it you must:

• Access the TV Menu .
• Now go into the Technical Support option.
• There you will see the Self Diagnosis function. We enter it.
• Click on Restart .
• The Smart TV will ask you for a PIN . Enter 0000 (four zeros).
• Select Yes for the process to begin.
• Once finished, check the result it gives you and try again if you can install the HBO Max application.

Does the problem persist?

If all of the above has not worked for you, then it is time to look carefully at what is happening with television. From Samsung we recommend two methods . Here we explain how to carry them out.

TV soft reset

It is not about returning the TV to the factory settings, but it is about a reset that goes beyond the standby mode with which most Samsung models work. To do so, you must:

• Press the power button on the remote until it turns off and back on again (5 seconds should be enough).
• Now unplug the Smart TV from the outlet and wait 30 seconds before plugging it back in.

Check for OS updates

If the above does not work, then it’s time to go a step further and check that we have the latest update of the television’s OS installed . To do this, you must follow the instructions below:

• Go to TV Settings .
• Go to the Support section.
• Now look for Software Update .
• Click Update to start searching for the latest version of the OS released by Samsung.

What if all of the above fails?

In the event that none of what we have indicated works for you, the next thing to do would be to try to contact the HBO Max technical service, which offers you the following possibilities:

• Email to contacto[at]hbomax.com .
• Direct chat to report problems:
• The telephone option is not operational since they notify that the service is “closed for the day”, so they refer to the option by email.