How to get HBO Max

You may have heard of a little thing called HBO Max – HBO’s latest streaming offering with 10,000 hours worth of content from HBO, DC and much more. 

The streaming platform will also play host to some of the biggest 2021 movies from Warner Bros., including The Matrix 4 and Dune. All films that are being released in cinemas by the studio will be available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. 

If you’re looking to get onboard the HBO Max hype train, then here’s everything you need to know to get signed up, whatever device you’re watching on. We also have a similar piece if you’re looking to watch Disney Plus. 

You can also find steps on how to cancel your account here, and how to share an account on HBO Max here.

How to sign up for HBO Max in the US

Signing up for HBO Max is relatively easy through a browser if you’re in the US. Here’s the steps you need to take:

• Head on over to the HBO Max website
• Fill in the account form using an email address and password
• Choose your payment method. The website allows the following cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express

Note that if you sign up through the HBO Max website, you can only pay through using your card. If you’d prefer to pay through the likes of PayPal, Apple Store/Google Play credit or another form of payment, then you’re better off signing up via the HBO Max app on your mobile device or through your smart TV app.

Unfortunately, the seven-day free trial for subscribers is no longer available. It has been scrapped prior to the release of Wonder Woman 1984. 

If you’re having trouble signing up, check out the help centre on the HBO Max website.

How to check if you can get HBO Max for free

If you’re on an AT&T wireless or internet plan, you may already have everything you need to sign in to HBO Max without paying anything at all. Check if your plan qualifies in the graph below: 

If your account isn’t included above, you may still be eligible for a special offer. Check out what you’re entitled to over on the AT&T website. 

In addition, if you subscribe to HBO through your provider already, or are signed up for HBO Now, then you may be entitled to a free HBO Max account also. Take a look at our piece on how to watch HBO Max for free for more information. 

How to download and watch HBO Max on my device

If you’d like to know how to specifically get HBO Max on your smart device, then here’s a quick roundup of where you can get it so far:

iOS and Android

Download the HBO Max app on either the Apple Store, or the Google Play store. Once you’ve done that, you can create an account in exactly the same way as you would above.  

If you’re based in the UK, we also have guides for watching HBO Max outside of the US on both iPhone and Android. 

Samsung TV and Android TV

Download the HBO Max TV app from your TV’s app store, and click on ‘Start Your Free Trial’ (if you don’t see this option you can find it by clicking ‘Get Started’ on the ‘Browse’ menu). Next, open up a browser on your phone or PC, and enter HBOMax.com/tvsignin into your address search bar. 

Input the code that appears on your TV and choose ‘Next’, complete the form and create your account. Follow the instructions to subscribe through Google Play or Samsung TV. 

Apple TV

Download the HBO Max TV app from the Apple TV app store. Open the app and choose ‘Subscribe Now’ (if you don’t see this option you can find it by clicking ‘Get Started’ on the ‘Browse’ menu). 

Input an email address and password, then add in your name and choose ‘Accept & Create Account’. Follow the on-screen instructions to subscribe through Apple. 

Hulu and YouTube TV

If you get your TV through either of these providers then you can add HBO Max as a channel. See more on the Hulu website and YouTube TV website. 

Xbox One, PS4 and PS5

Though you can download the HBO Max app on the Xbox and PlayStation app stores, you’ll only be able to sign in via these apps. You’ll have to create an account through one of the other methods first before you can watch on your games console. 

Amazon Fire TV devices

HBO Max is now available to download on Amazon Fire TV devices. You can download it straight from the Amazon app library, and sign up for a new account on here. 

Through your TV or internet provider

If you have HBO Max included in your TV or broadband plan, then you should be able to sign in using the option ‘Sign In Through TV or Mobile Provider’ on your phone/PC, or just signing in directly on your TV. 

Here’s a list of internet providers which support HBO Max:

• Consolidated Communications
• Liberty
• Optimum
• Verizon

Here’s a list of TV providers which can add on HBO Max to their plans (you’ll likely need to contact them directly). 

• Altice One
• Atlantic Broadband
• AT&T TV
• AT&T U-verse
• Cox
• DIRECTV
• Optimum
• RCN
• Spectrum
• Suddenlink
• Verizon FIOS
• WOW!

You can find a full list of the specific TV providers over on the HBO Max website help pages. 

Roku TV devices

HBO is now available on Roku devices – just head to the channel store to download the app. 

How to watch HBO Max outside of the US

If you’re not based in the US, then watching HBO Max is a little more tricky as the sign-up system relies on American payment information on the website. However, you can get past this using a VPN (such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN), the HBO Max app and a US Apple Store/Google Play account. 

Here’s the basic steps you’ll need:

• Download a VPN onto your iOS/Android device and select a US server
• Create a new US Apple ID/Google Play account
• Download HBO Max from the app store
• Sign up using your new account and PayPal

To find out full instructions, take a look at our guide on how to watch HBO Max in the UK.