Are you using the HBO Max app on your computer, TV, cellphone, or other supported streaming devices, but the video won’t stop buffering? Have you tried restarting your device, but the issue persists? Don’t panic; this guide will show you how to fix the buffering problems while watching HBO content on its app or website.
HBO Max has an excellent library for on-demand and Live HBO content. At the time of this writing, HBO Max is available for users living in the US and territories across the Caribbean and Latin America. Hopefully, they will cover the European market sooner than later.
There is no doubt that HBO Max is amongst the leading video streaming service providers. However, quite a few are reporting buffering issues while watching HBO content. Before getting into the fixes, let’s find out why your videos are buffering.
Why does my HBO keep buffering?
If videos on the HBO Max app or HBO Max website won’t stop buffering and you are stuck on an endless loading screen, it could be due to any one of the following reasons.
- HBO Max servers are down.
- Slow internet speed is causing the HBO Max videos to buffer.
- You are using an outdated version of the HBO Max app.
- The app’s installation files are corrupt.
- HBO Max app cache has bulked up with junk and corrupt files.
- You are using a VPN to access HBO’s content.
How do I stop HBO from buffering?
HBO Max Videos won’t stop buffering? Try the following troubleshooting steps.
Check if HBO Max servers are down
The troubleshooting steps start with checking the HBO Max service status. This way, you can quickly diagnose if the issue is at HBO Max’s end or yours.
If you find that HBO Max servers are down, wait till HBO engineers address the issue at their end. However, if the HBO Max service is up and running, proceed to the following troubleshooting steps to fix the buffering problem.
Sign out and back into your account
User data often get corrupt due to prolonged sessions that may cause your video to buffer. One way of fixing it is to sign out of HBO Max from all devices and sign back in. To do this:
- Open up a browser and go to Hbomax.com.
- Next, click on your account name and choose the Manage Devices option.
- Now either select the individual sign-out option for every device or click on “Sign all device out.”
- Confirm your action to sign out from the HBO Max account completely.
- Finally, use your registered email and password to sign in to the HBO Max account and see if that fixes your buffering issue.
Check the devices streaming HBO Max content
HBO Max allows you to share your account with your family and friends. You can do so by creating up to five profiles. Afterward, your friends can use these profiles to sign in to their devices and enjoy HBO content. However, only three devices can stream the content simultaneously.
Now, if you are running the HBO Max app on all three devices at a time, you are exhausting the limit. Therefore, it can cause movies and TV shows to buffer. To fix this, log out from one or two devices and see if you are experiencing buffering issues anymore.
Update HBO Max app
If you have not updated the HBO Max app on your device, try doing so. HBO Max app may have released an update that contains a patch for the buffering problem. Go to your device’s app store and select the update option next to the HBO Max app. Next, relaunch the app to verify that the issue is fixed.
Reinstall HBO Max app
Reinstalling HBO Max can eliminate the corrupt installation files that may cause the videos buffering on your device. First, remove the app from your device’s app list. Next, head to the device’s App Store to download and install the HBO Max app again.
Your account settings will remain unaltered during the reinstall process as your account data is stored in the HBO Max servers.
How do I clear HBO Max cache?
Over time, the HBO Max app cache can occupy a lot of memory space on your device by saving junk files. As a result, your device runs slow, and your HBO videos may act up. Therefore, you need to clear the HBO Max app cache on your Android TVs, cellular devices, and some setup boxes from time to time.
To clear the app cache, access the Settings menu of your devices and navigate to the Apps section. Now, select the HBO Max app and clear the cache through one of the available options in the sub-menu. Hopefully, your videos won’t buffer for quite some time.
Why does HBO Max keep buffering on my computer?
- HBO Max platform recommends a minimum of 5 Mbps of internet bandwidth to stream its content. Therefore, if you are experiencing slow internet speed, do an internet speed test, reboot your network devices or ask your network provider to fix the issue at their end.
- If you use a VPN on your PC, turn it off or reconnect to a fast server.
- Clearing your browser cookies and cache can remove the junk files interfering with the HBO streaming platform. Therefore, try clearing your browser cookies to fix the buffering problem. Furthermore, download the latest updates for your browser. Next, revisit the HBO Max website and check if the buffering issue persists.
- Do a complete PC scan with your antivirus program. Malware can slow your browser performance resulting in video buffers.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide helped you fix the video buffering problem on the HBO Max app. We recommend switching to a wired connection using an ethernet cable between your device and router. HBO Max also does not suggest relying on a wireless connection to stream the content on your devices.
