HBO Max is a great way to catch on up on your favorite shows and watch new streaming releases. As it turns out, it’s also a fine way to watch videos offline. Even though the HBO Max app is relatively new, it allows you to download shows and movies for offline viewing. If you want to catch up on your favorites somewhere without internet access, here’s how to watch HBO Max offline.
How to watch HBO Max shows and movies offline
HBO Max makes it simple to download shows and movies so that you can watch them offline. All you need is a mobile phone or tablet with the HBO Max app as well as enough storage space to download videos.
Here’s how to download a video from HBO Max for offline viewing:
- Open the HBO Max app and make sure you’re signed in
- Find the movie or episode you want to download, then tap the download icon
All things considered, the download process is painless. The only real variable is that the download time may take a while depending on the video and quality chosen. Still, once the video has been downloaded to your device, you’ll be able to access it without any need for Wi-Fi or internet connectivity. Just look for it under the Download section of the HBO Max app.
HBO Max offline viewing rules and restrictions
There are a few restrictions to this system, of course. HBO has rules in place for how long downloaded videos can be kept, how long users have to view them, and even which videos can be watched offline.
The first restriction is perhaps the most obvious: Offline viewing is not supported on most smart TVs, streaming devices, or video game consoles. In fact, it looks to be exclusive to mobile devices such as phones or tablets.
Beyond that, videos can’t be kept forever. Each HBO Max account can only download up to 30 videos at one time, and they each automatically expire after 30 days. Plus, after a video has been started, you only have 48 hours to finish it before it expires. Thankfully, you can renew downloads at any time — but you’ll need to have an active internet connection to do so.
The rest of the rules aren’t very complicated, but they are worth noting. Downloads cannot be installed to an SD card; only the device’s internal storage is allowed. This is likely so that users don’t try to make duplicates of copyrighted videos. Also, if you intend to use subtitles, it’s best to choose the language you want before you start the download. Finally, you can only have up to five copies of any given show or movie across all of your devices.
The option to watch HBO Max offline is available to all current subscribers. If you haven’t signed up yet, here’s how to get a free HBO Max trial you can use to check out the latest releases, such as the new Mortal Kombat movie.
