Using a smart TV comes with so many perks compared to using their traditional counterparts. They come with improved sound functionality, larger screens, sharper resolution,? and a myriad of apps that you can download and use. Smart TVs do not only produce better pictures, but also give a lot of functionality to gaming apps, as well as streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and of course HBO Max.
Samsung TVs are no exception. They come with a plethora of apps preinstalled, with many consumers choosing among different streaming services. If you’re one of the people who chose HBO Max, it’s a great choice with new and engaging shows and movies rolling out continuously to the app.
What’s saddening is that some users experience HBO Max not working on Samsung TV, for no reason. You may have tried troubleshooting, or you simply don’t know what to do, but the problem persists. If you’re among those users, you’re not alone as it’s a common occurrence.
Luckily for you, HBO Max not working on Samsung TV is not an unfixable issue, you won’t lose your subscription service, you won’t have to throw your TV through your window and, of course, you won’t have to switch to a new streaming service.
Let’s engage in some DIY activity! Scroll down below to learn what could’ve caused the HBO Max not to work on your Samsung TV. Once we’re done troubleshooting, we’ll help you fix your issue.
While most of the issues should be fixable with a few steps and minimal effort, if nothing helps, you’ll have to consult HBO Max customer service or check if something is wrong with your TV’s Software.
Reasons For HBO Max Not Working On Samsung TV
As we mentioned above, there are a few reasons why HBO Max doesn’t work on your Samsung TV. Once you identify the issue, you’ll be able to fix it in no time and return to your favorite content on HBO Max.
Once again, it is possible for these causes to not be one of the reasons why your Samsung TV doesn’t work with HBO Max. If that’s the case, you’ll have to consult the customer service of the respective companies HBO and Samsung.
A Glitch In Network or Power Supply
For some reason, mostly the data and electrical energy being exchanged between the devices, routers and other devices may cause a glitch in the system. Although smart software such as the one that comes with Samsung Smart TVs delivers much greater performance than the old TVs with the built-in firmware, glitches like this can happen, even due to a small power fluctuation.
Nevertheless, this shouldn’t worry you. All you have to do is be patient. Glitches can cause all the apps to work smoothly but some of them to act up. In your case, the app that acted up was HBO Max. Luckily, there are ways to fix it without a problem.
Editor’s notes: Constant package exchange between devices connected to your home network can cause the malfunction of the system and in the way how your Smart TV and HBO Max receive data from the internet.
That being said, you should check if some of your other devices are disconnected from the internet. After that, there are certain things that you need to do:
- Turn off or restart your modem or router. After you restart it, wait for 10 minutes and then reconnect again.
- If the internet doesn’t work on your Smart TV, HBO Max or some other device at your home consider calling your ISP and see what’s the issue. They’ll either restart the router on their end or send in a technician that will look into the issue.
Unfortunately, glitches like these may happen when there are power outages, fluctuations, or sudden power surges. No device no matter how well-protected is immune to how energy is exchanged.
- Unplug your TV from its power source and wait from 20 seconds to one minute. Plug it in again and wait for the system to start. Check HBO Max and ensure that your TV is connected to the network. If it connects then it’s fixed.
HBO Max Not Downloading on Samsung TV
So, you’ve subscribed to HBO Max service and can’t wait to watch your favorite movies and show, but then all your happiness is shattered into pieces when you notice that the app can’t be downloaded on your Samsung TV. What to do?
Samsung TVs are usually bundled up with different apps that serve a purpose. Some of them are bloatware and can’t be deleted from the system, but you’re also able to get a bunch of new apps on your TV, one of them being HBO Max.
There are various reasons why the HBO Max won’t download from the store. Some of them can be simply an issue on their end, a glitch in the app, your internet connection not working or no memory on TV.
Editor’s notes: As you can see, several things can cause the HBO Max not to download on Samsung TV. It can be quite annoying, but it also comes with several solutions that you can use.
- You should try restarting the Samsung Store app and try again. This is the most sensible option and will resolve most of the bugs that came along. If you’re using an older Samsung TV model, this is more likely to happen because apps are getting more power-hungry and your TV’s resources may not have an easy time living up to the challenge.
Checking whether Samsung TV is connected to the internet or not is another solution that you can try out. Sometimes Samsung TV disconnects from the internet, or maybe someone else did it unintentionally. This is what you have to do.
- Step 1: Press the “Menu” button which is located on your remote control
- Step 2: Select “Network” settings in the panel.
- Step 3: Select “Network Status” after which your connection status will be shown.
Regardless of what your TV shows you, you should repeat the steps from the previous paragraphs on restarting the network and trying to see whether you can contact your ISP’s customer service and have your network problems resolved.
Another issue that may arise with downloading the HBO Max app is a lack of storage or memory. It happens when you’ve exceeded the storage capabilities on TV. It stores all the apps, files, and app data on special storage which saves the content you download and watch. That being said, if your memory is full, you should delete the files that are causing the memory to be full.
It’s worth noting that apps have gotten quite bigger compared to the past, which is why if you purchased a Samsung Smart TV from 2017 or 2018 that you may not be able to clear all the memory. Moreover, some people may have to deal with memory from other apps that came preinstalled and are filling the space.
In such situations clearing the cache seems like the most sensible option. Here’s how to do it:
- Step 1: Go to Settings
- Step 2: Select “Apps”
- Step 3: Find and select “System Apps”
- Step 4: You’ll get the option to select all the apps on the system. Once you do, start clearing the Cache Memory.
You can also watch this YouTube video that will help you clear the cache memory out as well as cookies on Samsung Smart TV.
Another thing worth pointing out is that most modern Samsung TVs come with scalable memory. That means that you can purchase cheap memory sticks and increase the supported memory. After that, your download should start and finish without failure.
Can’t Install HBO Max on Samsung TV
Another common issue with HBO Max and Samsung TV is connected to installation problems which are quite frequent. Here’s why it may be happening.
Once HBO Max was downloaded it no longer needs internet, at least during the installation or patching processes. That said, you won’t need to check the connection status or work on your router to ensure the device will finally run HBO Max.
It, however, can happen for other reasons like a bug that happened during the process of writing files and cache into the memory. You’ll have to either power off your TV or do something that is called a “cold start.”
Editor’s notes: If the HBO Max isn’t installed on your Samsung TV here are the things you need to do.
- Power off your TV by pulling out the power plug and waiting 20 seconds to 1 minute.
- To perform a cold start you will need to hold the power button for 10 seconds. After that, your TV will restart and clean the memory. Most of the time, this will be enough to fix the problem.
- If it doesn’t fix the problem, you’ll have to clean the memory and cache, as described in the previous steps.
Your HBO Max Is Outdated
Developers constantly roll out new app versions to keep up with the tech trends and run security maintenance which makes sure your data is safe and no one tries to exploit hidden bugs on your TV. This may be a nuisance for users who are annoyed by having to update their apps now and then.
Some older Samsung TV models may not warn the user that the app is outdated and that it needs to get a new version to function properly. That’s why a lot of people are confused when they see they keep getting errors or random crashes shortly after starting the app.
Editor’s notes: To fix this issue all you have to do is search for HBO Max on Samsung’s Store and see whether there’s an option to update. If you find the option, select “Update” and wait as your app downloads the new files and patches them up on your TV.
HBO Max Won’t Load Up
One of the most annoying occurrences connected to HBO Max not working on Samsung TV is when the app enters an infinity buffering and loading loop that never loads up. It simply grinds the gears to most of the subscribers who wanted to just relax and enjoy a new episode of their favorite show.
Funnily, this silly issue is resolved in the most ridiculous of ways, and most of the solutions don’t even have much to do with you. The app will continue loading, without giving any error or crashing, but if you’re patient enough, it may show a connection error. That’s why it’s necessary to check up the connection status of your TV and whether it’s even on the network.
Editor’s notes:
Make sure to check whether the internet works by restarting the router or modem or even calling the ISP.
The second reason that HBO Max is not working is simply that they have server issues that will be resolved in a few hours. HBO Max is known for its occasional outages, but they usually don’t take too long to fix. You can track the HBO Max problems on com.
Your System is Outdated
On rare occasions, it may be your TV software that is outdated and it needs a refresher. A new update will introduce new features while also fixing some errors and bugs from the past. Some third-party apps like HBO Max are designed to work only with the newest versions which are why HBO Max may not work if your system is outdated.
Editor’s notes: This video below provides a thorough step-by-step guide on how to safely update your Samsung TV. Moreover, it guides in fixing a corrupted update or when your TV greyed out.
Compatibility Issues
Compatibility issues may sometimes occur in older Samsung TVs. Unfortunately, streaming got quite a pair of legs since the first Samsung Smart TVs came out to the market. In a way, movie and show streaming became much more revolutionized and intuitive, which requires more resources.
Apps such as Netflix and HBO Max became more power-hungry which leads to them needing more system resources which older TVs don’t have. Samsung TVs that rolled out before 2016 and some of them that rolled out in 2016 doesn’t have the support for HBO Max which is the reason why it may not be working.
Editor’s notes: You should be able to see the compatible models in Samsung Store. However, if the app is not showing up in search, it’s most likely that your TV doesn’t support HBO Max.
System Instability
If you notice that your TVs software has been acting a bit unstable for some time, that other apps and streaming services are crashing, it likely needs a refresher. Sometimes a “cold start” may not be enough which is why it may be necessary to factory-reset your Samsung TV.
This video explains it in detail. Keep in mind that if you choose to Factory Reset your Samsung TV all the data from it will be deleted. It’ll be a fresh start for you and your TV, so better reinstall the apps you had before.
