HBO Max Down: Users Having Issues Amid Max Rebrand Launch

HBO Max relaunched as Max Tuesday morning, but Warner Bros. Discovery’s effort to integrate content from Discovery+ on the HBO Max app hasn’t occurred without issue. Just hours into Max’s launch, Max appears to be down, with subscribers checking out the rebranded app and its content catalog reporting a string of issues Tuesday morning affecting viewing.

Down Detector, a website that tracks real-time issues and outages, reported that issues began plaguing Max at 7:38 a.m. ET. So far, hundreds of users have reported experiencing issues on Down Detector, with 47% reporting issues with video streaming, 34% experiencing issues with the Max app, and 19% having issues with the Max website. One user said that “nothing workin got Max at all…website apps, etc…login and get blank screens,” with somebody else sharing that the start button on the app was not working. Another subscriber noted that the rebrand seemed to have “broke things on browser. Tried Chrome and Edge.” On Twitter, a Max subscriber shared that “the new max app is not working for me on my Android. It just keeps saying something went wrong,” adding that they have “reinstalled and rebooted several times!” Another user reported that the Max streaming app “keeps saying something went wrong.”

The new Max app picking up right where HBO Max left off pic.twitter.com/6KQI1GpHb5

— Marc Istook (@MarcIstook) May 23, 2023

Responding to the user reports, Max’s official Twitter account acknowledged that the streaming service was experiencing some issues. Responding to a tweet, Max said, “We have been working on a fix for this,” advising subscribers to “Please try to delete the app and reinstall it now. If that does not resolve the issue, please reach out to us via DM and let us know which devices this is still occurring for you on.” At this time, Down Detector shows that Max is still experiencing issues.

Max is a consolidated, rebranded version of HBO Max that pulls in content from Discovery+. At launch Tuesday, Max offers 35,000 hours of programming, with titles from HBO Originals, Warner Bros. films, Max Originals, the DC universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an expansive offering of kids and family content, and best-in-class programming across food, home, reality, lifestyle and documentaries from leading brands like HGTV, Food Network, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID, and more. Warner Bros. said the Max content catalog will be “continuously updated with fresh content, averaging more than 40 new titles and seasons every month.”

Max costs $15.99 a month ($149.99/year) for the ad-free version or $9.99 per month ($99.99/year) for the ad-supported tier. The “ultimate” ad-free version, which includes more than 1,000 movies and episodes in 4K Ultra HD, is available for $19.99 a month ($199.99/year). While HBO Max relaunched Tuesday, most subscribers will have their apps automatically updated. Others, however, will be prompted to download the Max app.