How to Add and Watch HBO Max on Roku

Since launching in 2020, HBO Max has established itself as a force to reckon with in the streaming industry. 

Before the launch, you couldn’t watch HBO Max on Roku. WarnerMedia the mother company of HBO Max and Roku signed an agreement that finally allowed Roku users to access HBO Max on their streaming devices. The app is home to some of the best HBO Max originals like The Sopranos and The Wire. The platform has more streaming content that its predecessors – HBO Go and HBO Now. The difference is that with HBO Max, you get all the movies and series beyond HBO originals. Before the deal, it was a painstaking process to catch your favorite TV Show or movie on the platform. With this good news, let’s see how to add and watch HBO Max on your Roku.

To add and watch HBO Max on Roku, visit the channel store and add HBO Max to your Roku streaming device. Whenever you are ready to install the app, we will take you through the installation process step-by-step.

HBO Max contains content found on HBO Go and HBO Now plus additional content of more than 10,000 hours. It can be accessed by paying a monthly subscription fee or for free on Roku with a cable TV subscription with over 70 networks being supported. The platform is only supported on Roku devices running on OS 9.3 or later. If you aren’t sure if your Roku streaming device meets this requirement, then press the home button on your Roku remote and go to Settings. Under it, select ‘System’ and then click on ‘System Updates’. To manually update your Roku, click on ‘Check Now’ and update it manually. If there’s an update available, then install and update by following the on-screen instructions.

Adding HBO Max on Roku

To start, press the home button on Roku remote which takes you to the Roku home page. On the left sidebar, navigate to ‘Streaming Channels’ and click it to go to the Roku channel store. From here, select ‘Search Channels’ and type ‘HBO’ in the search bar then select the HBO Max app from the suggestions. On the next app page, click on the ‘+ Add Channel’ button to add the app and then wait while the app completes installing. Once the installation is done, it’s time to launch and activate it.

What if my Roku device is below 9.3?

If your Roku streaming device is running on an older OS version than 9.3, then that doesn’t stop you from streaming content on it. You can still do so by mirroring or casting HBO Max content on to Roku. Before you begin, make sure that your Roku device and the casting device are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network for this to work. Go to the Settings page on Roku and enable screen mirroring by setting the mode to ‘Prompt’ or ‘Always Allow’.

Smartphone

If you are using an iOS or Android device as your casting device, then go to the Google play store or the App store and install the HBO Max app on the phone. On iOS, you need to download an additional app called Mirror for Roku. Open the app and login in using your HBO Max credentials or a supported TV provider. On the top-right corner of the app, click on the cast icon and select your Roku device from the list.

Windows

Click on start and open Settings. On the Settings menu, click on ‘System Settings’ and under it, select ‘display’. Scroll down and select ‘Connect to Wireless display’. From the list of available devices, select your Roku device that you wish to cast HBO Max content to. Once the connection is successful, open a web browser on the PC and visit the official HBO Max website. Login using your HBO Max credentials or a TV provider’s and play a video and it should be displayed on Roku. 

Installation steps in pictures

Press the home button on your Roku remote and go to the Roku home screen

Select Streaming Channels

Click on Search Channels and type HBO Max in the search bar and click on the suggestions

Click on +Add Channel to install

Mirroring steps in pictures

On Android

Go to the Google Play Store and install HBO Max app

Go to the connections menu on your Android and search for Multi-screen, Cast, or Smart view

Toggle the button to turn it on

On iOS

Go to the App Store and install HBO Max app

Click on Screen Mirroring and install ‘mirror for Roku’ from the App Store

Tap on Screen mirroringand on Tap to start mirroring

How to add HBO NOW on Roku: A snap shot

Final Thoughts

With that, you now have an understanding of how to install HBO Max on Roku. You will need to use your TV provider subscription or HBO Max subscription to log in and access content. If the service is not available in your area, then you might need to use a VPN to access it.

FAQs

What’s the difference between HBO Max and HBO Now?

HBO Now features on content from HBO original while HBO Max contains content from not only HBO, but also from other entertainment companies too.

How do I update an old version of HBO Max on Roku?

Usually, Roku automatically updates the app for you. However, if it still hasn’t, then go to the home screen and highlight the HBO tile. Press the asterisk button on your remote and select ‘Check for updates’. The app should be updated and the icon changed to HBO Max.