Watch HBO Max Outside the US with a VPN

If you want to stream HBO Max but you’re outside the US, you’ll need two things: a VPN and access to a US-registered payment method.

If you don’t have a US payment method, we’ll walk you through another way to get HBO Max.

Here’s how you can stream HBO Max from wherever you are in the world:

1. Sign up for and download a VPN. We strongly recommend you subscribe to one of the VPNs we recommend here.
2. Open the VPN app and connect to a US server, or a dedicated HBO Max server if there is one.
3. Head to the HBO Max American website and create an account.
4. You can pay directly if you already have a US payment method. If you don’t have a US payment method, see how to get one here.

   You need a US payment method to subscribe to HBO Max.

5. Once your account is created, keep your VPN on and log in as normal to stream HBO Max. You’ll have to use your VPN every time you want to use the service. If the US server you selected isn’t working, try a different one. If problems persist, contact the VPN’s support.

Don’t have an American credit card? You can still sign up for a HBO Max account and stream from abroad.

Below are four ways to sign up to HBO Max from abroad:

Method 1: Use a HBO Gift Card

Luckily HBO accepts gift cards, which you can buy from any country, and use to subscribe to HBO Max from outside the US.

Below are the steps to get a HBO gift card and how to use it sign up to HBO Max:

1. Buy a HBO gift card from MyGiftCardSupply. You’ll receive a redemption code.
2. Use a VPN to connect to a US server.
3. Redeem your HBO gift card on the HBO Now website by submitting your redemption code.
4. Go to the HBO Max website and sign in using your HBO Now login details.

To learn more on redeeming HBO Now gift cards, read this helpful article.

Method 2: Use a Third-Party US Card Service

Another easy way to sign up for HBO Max is to use US card payment services like StatesCard or USUnlocked, which have guides for HBO Max specifically.

For a small fee these payment card services provide US payment details with US addresses.

Method 3: Create a US Apple ID

Getting a US Apple ID and paying for HBO Max isn’t as easy as just changing your region in App Store settings like some websites make out.

You need to start from the bottom up and pay with a US gift card. You also need an Apple computer, like an iMac or MacBook.

Follow these steps to do it:

1. Connect to a US server with your VPN.
2. Now open iTunes and sign out of your account if you already have one.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the iTunes window and select the option Country or Region in the bottom right corner.
4. Now create a completely new Apple ID account. Select the United States as your Region/Country if it hasn’t automatically changed already.

   Choose the United States as your country when creating a new Apple ID.

5. It’s essential that you do not include any payment information as part of your new account. Select None when asked to include payment information and insert a random US address.

   Make sure to select ‘None’ as a payment method.

6. With your new US Apple ID registered, purchase a US gift card for iTunes – enough to cover the cost of HBO Max. We recommend that you use Best Buy or My Gift Card Supply.
7. Once purchased, open the Apple App Store, head to the bottom of the window, and select the Redeem option. Sign in with your new US account if you haven’t already. In the screen that follows, enter the code of the gift card you purchased.
8. With credit now tied to your account, you can use your VPN to connect to a US server and sign up for HBO Max, paying with your iTunes gift card.

Method 4: Create a US Google Account

If you don’t use Apple devices, you can use an Android to get HBO Max.

Follow these steps:

1. Connect to a US IP address through a VPN installed on your Android device.
2. Now you need to create a new US Google account. To do this, go to your Android Settings.
3. Select Google and tap the arrow beside your current account.
4. Tap Add Another Account and fill out the details. Do not add any information that could reveal your real whereabouts.
5. Once completed, you need to go and purchase a US Google Play gift card. These can be bought at Amazon.com.
6. The gift card code will be sent to the email of your new account. Copy the code and paste it into the Google Store to redeem it. The Redeem gift code option is found under Payments and subscriptions. If asked to, enter a random US ZIP code.
7. Now that you have a US Play Store account and a gift card cashed in, you can search for and install the HBO Max app.

   HBO Max is available on the US Google Play Store only.

8. Download the app and register for a HBO Max subscription using your gift card balance.
9. Now you can stream HBO Max from wherever you like just as long as you are connected to a US server. You can use the same login for any device you want to stream HBO Max on.

HBO Max tries to detect VPNs and prevent access outside permissible regions.

If you see the error message “Not in Service Area or VPN Detected” or “Sorry, HBO Max isn’t available in your region yet,” it means that HBO knows you’re using a VPN, or your VPN is leaking information about your real location.

HBO Max has geo-detection methods.

You can try a different US VPN server to get around this. HBO Max’s VPN detection methods aren’t as sophisticated as BBC iPlayer or DAZN, so a change of server should fix it.

If that fails, you can clear cache and cookies and chat to the VPNs support to see what workaround can be done.

If the problem persists, it probably means that your VPN isn’t equipped to get around region blocks.

Even good VPNs like CyberGhost and Private Internet Access don’t work with HBO Max. If you want to avoid VPN detections, we recommend that you stick to our recommendations, which have been thoroughly tested.

HBO Max Error Code 03-37-215

The error code 03-37-215 occurs for people watching HBO Max on PlayStation. To fix this, simply restart your console.

If the problem persists, delete your device cookies, clear cache, and then restart the console again. That should make it work again. If not, speak to your VPN’s support.

HBO Max releases movies the same day as they’re shown in cinemas.

It also debuts platform-exclusive “Max Originals” and offers a vast library from the archives of Warner Bros., CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network, and TNT.

The best way to watch the latest blockbuster like Mortal Kombat, Dune, or The Suicide Squad is via your home cinema setup.

You can do this by installing HBO Max’s app onto your Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, or Roku device. If you’re in the US can do this simply and as normal.

If you’re outside the US, you’ll need a VPN that also has a Fire TV Stick app or Smart DNS feature.

At the least, your VPN should be compatible with routers. But this process is more complicated than installing a bespoke app.

The VPNs we recommend all come with good Fire TV Stick apps and Smart DNS features.

How to Stream HBO Max on Amazon Fire TV Stick

If you’re in the US, installing HBO Max on a Fire TV Stick is no different to any other application.

However, to install HBO Max on your Amazon Fire TV Stick anywhere else in the world, it’s not as simple as changing your IP address; you also need to register a US Amazon account.

Even with your VPN on, if your Fire TV Stick is linked to an Amazon account registered in the UK, for example, the US-exclusive HBO Max app won’t appear in your Amazon App Store searches.

Once this is done and linked to your Fire TV Stick, you can find the HBO Max app in the app store search bar.

However, this means you will lose access to British streaming services like BBC iPlayer.

And switching between US and UK Amazon accounts on your Fire TV Stick isn’t an easy or instant process.

To put it simply: forget about HBO Go and HBO Now. These are just old names for HBO Max and do not really exist anymore.

HBO Go was a streaming service for those with an HBO cable TV subscription. This hasn’t existed since August 2020.

HBO Now was launched in 2015 as a standalone video on demand service for those who didn’t have a cable subscription. It was designed to compete with Netflix, Hulu, and other cordless streaming services. Support for HBO Now ended in December 2020.

HBO Max is the new, streamlined incarnation of HBO Now and HBO content in general. So there is no difference between the services. Customers of HBO Now and HBO Go were encouraged to move to HBO Max at no extra cost.

Can I Use a Free VPN to Unblock HBO Max?

We don’t recommend free VPNs for HBO Max.

Many free VPNs are unsafe and the ones we’ve verified as safe are limited due to data caps, server restrictions, or streaming blocks.

However, there is one worthwhile free service: Windscribe Free works with HBO Max.

Windscribe is safe and easy to use, but you are only allowed 10GB of data per month. Therefore, you’ll be very limited in how much you can stream.

Most other safe free VPNs don’t work with HBO Max. Hide.me Free for example, comes with two free US servers, but neither could get around the HBO Max region blocks.

Where is HBO Max Available?

HBO Max is only available in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. You can only get access to HBO Max outside of these regions if you use a VPN.

Many more countries are scheduled to get HBO Max throughout 2021, including Eastern European and Scandinavian countries.

Western European countries like the UK, France, and Germany don’t have a HBO Max release date scheduled. If you are in one of these countries you need to use a VPN for the foreseeable future.

Does HBO Max Have a Free Trial?

No, HBO Max doesn’t have a free trial.

It used to have a seven-day trial. But this was before it started debuting movies the same day as the cinema release; it stopped just before Wonder Woman 1984 debuted on the platform.

However, Hulu users in the US can get a one week HBO Max free trial. For Hulu users, do this:

1. Select Account in the top right corner.
2. Scroll down to Your Subscription until you see Add-Ons.
3. Click Manage Add-Ons.
4. You’ll see a number of available Hulu add-ons, including HBO Max.
5. Select the plus icon beside the HBO Max logo and click Review Changes.
6. Your HBO Max free trial will commence.

This is a neat workaround for US Hulu users but you should also bear in mind that this trial restricts same-day Warner Bros. releases.

In other words, you won’t be able to watch the films getting released in cinemas at the same time unless you pay for it.

Additional research by David Hughes