HBO Max won't load on TV: 5 ways to troubleshoot

Opening the HBO Max app on your Smart TV should take a few seconds. But if the application takes longer to load, you have an issue with your TV or the app itself.

Therefore, you must troubleshoot the problem to find its origin and find a solution. That is because many things can cause the app to fail to load on your TV.

HBO Max is not loading on your TV, most likely, because your device does not have enough memory. Therefore, clear some space from your device and try again.

But the issue can also occur if your device’s software or the app is out-of-date.

In that case, you will have to update your TV’s OS and the HBO Max app to get the latest security features and bug fixes. However, many other factors can cause the app to fail to load.

Why HBO Max won’t load on your TV

The HBO Max won’t load on TV because of the following reasons:

You have not connected the TV to a network.
Your network connection is unstable.
A server outage is affecting the app.

A corrupted cache file can also cause the app to fail to load.

How to fix HBO Max when it doesn’t load on the TV

When HBO Max fails to load when opening it for the first time, you must go through several troubleshooting steps to find the cause and get a solution.

Here are five areas to look at and how to fix them.

1. Check your internet connection

You require a stable internet connection to load the HBO Max app on your TV. HBO Max will get stuck on the loading screen if your internet speed is low or your internet connection is unavailable.

Therefore, troubleshoot your network connections by doing the following:

Restart your modem and router.
Check the lights on your modem and router. The internet signal light should be solid green or white. If the light is red, you have no internet and contact your ISP for assistance. But if no lights show up, your network equipment has an issue.
Use an Ethernet cable to connect directly to the internet.
Check your cables to ensure there is no physical damage and that they are in the right ports and connected tightly.
Move your router or modem closer to the TV to improve signal strength. Also, remove objects obstructing the TV from getting a clear signal.
Do an internet speed test. For example, ensure your download speed is 5Mbps to watch HBO Max content in HD or 50Mbps to watch HBO Max movies in 4K. Otherwise, upgrade to a higher speed or contact your ISP for assistance.
Disconnect your VPN or proxy server and try again.
If you connect to the internet using a mobile hotspot, ensure you have enough mobile data.

You can also disconnect other devices connected to the same network to improve speed and bandwidth.

2. Reset HBO Max and your TV

You can reset HBO Max on a Smart TV by closing the app and opening it again.

Next, reset your TV through these steps:

While the TV is on, unplug it from the power outlet.
Wait for about 60 seconds.
Plug it back in.
Open HBO Max and see if it has solved the issue.

Here are some brand-specific guidelines for resetting TVs.

Also, if you use the TV’s browser to watch HBO Max content and it fails to load, close the browser, open it, and access HBO Max. But if that does not work, clear your TV browser’s cookies, cache, and browser history.

3. Uninstall and reinstall HBO Max

If HBO Max is stuck on the loading screen, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the app. The steps will differ depending on your device.

For Android TV:

Go to Settings.
Select Apps.
Select HBO Max.
Select Uninstall.

After uninstalling the app:

Go to Apps or open the Google Play Store.
Find HBO Max.
Select the app and then choose Install.

After installing, open HBO Max, sign in and try streaming again.

For Apple TV:

Highlight the HBO Max app.
Press and hold the Touch surface for two seconds.
Press the Play/Pause button.
Select Delete.

After deleting:

Open the App Store on your Apple TV.
Find the HBO Max app
Select Install.

Open the app, sign in to your account, and try streaming again.

4. Update HBO Max and your device

For the best experience, updating the HBO Max app on your TV helps avoid errors and other glitches. Also, update your device to ensure that the latest HBO Max app is compatible with your TV.

You can update HBO Max by going to your device’s application store (Play Store for Android TV, App Store for Apple TV, Amazon Store for Fire TV, Content Store for LG TV, and Smart Hub for Samsung TV). Then, search for HBO Max and install the latest updates if available.

After updating the app, update your device’s OS. Therefore, go to device settings and check if the latest updates are available.

5. Check your TV’s storage space

Surprisingly, most Smart TVs do not have enough storage space. The average space in these devices is around 8 GB.

However, that space can fill up faster if you install many apps and games, download data from the browser, and use apps constantly.

When your device has insufficient space, HBO Max will take time to load as it determines where to store cache files.

Therefore, delete unnecessary apps, games, and downloaded files from your TV. And if you use the browser, clear your browser’s history and try again.

Summary

When you open HBO Max on your TV, and the app takes longer to load, something has gone wrong with the app or your hardware.

For example, your internet connection is unstable, and you need to fix it to continue. However, it could also mean the app and your device is out-of-date.

In other cases, the HBO app isn’t playing anything because your phone does not have enough space to store cache files.

The solution is to delete unnecessary apps and games and try again. You can also try to fix this issue by restarting your device and updating HBO Max on your TV.

HBO Max won’t load on TV: 5 ways to troubleshoot