When Warner Bros. Discovery announced that HBO Max would become obsolete on Tuesday, May 23, in favor of the new and improved Max, company executives made it clear that while most HBO Max users would see their apps automatically update, that wouldn't be the case for everybody. WBD warned that some users would need to manually update their HBO Max app or download the new Max version.
Now that Max is officially live, we are starting to see which platforms are falling into which update category. On iOS mobile devices, for instance, Max is a brand-new app that needs to be downloaded on its own before subscribers can sign in. There did seem to be some issues with customers logging into the service on various platforms on Tuesday morning — including Apple devices — but a WBD spokesperson told Variety, “You must always anticipate issues on a tech rollout of this scale. We can share that only minor ones have emerged and were quickly remedied.”
Another one of the streaming platforms that has not yet begun automatically swapping out the HBO Max app for the shiny new Max version is Roku. Considering that more people stream via a Roku smart TV or connected device in the United States than any other platform, this could be a bit of a concern for some users. However, there is a very simple way to manually update your app in order to stream via the upgraded Max experience.
How Do You Update the HBO Max App to Get Max on Roku?
- While all of the steps in this process are pretty easy, the first is the easiest. All you need to do is find the HBO Max tile in your Roku app menu. Then, highlight the tile and hit the asterisk button to pull up the settings menu.
- Next, scroll down the settings menu to “Check for Updates” and click that option.
- From there, the app update will begin, and immediately as Roku starts receiving the new package information, you will notice that it reflects the app’s new name of “Max.”
- Once the download is complete, you will be able to stream on Max right away. Because this is a simple app update, rather than a completely new app, you will not need to log in again or reauthorize your Roku device.
- Finally, whenever you head back to your streaming menu, the HBO Max tile will be automatically replaced by the Max version.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.