[Updated] HBO Max 'offline viewing' not working for some, issue acknowledged (workarounds inside)

Here’s the crux of the article in video form

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on Dec. 29, 2022) follows:

Owned by Warner Bros., HBO Max is one of the most popular streaming service providers. Thanks to its vast catalog of shows and movies, one can enjoy countless hours of entertainment.

The platform will soon release some new shows and sequels to its hit shows, such as Stargirl Season 3, Velma, The Climb, The Last of Us, and much more.

It also keeps the kids glued to their favorite cartoon shows such as Tom and Jerry, Ben 10, and Scooby Doo.

But as is the case with most streaming services, viewers do sometimes face issues while trying to watch their favorite shows and movies.

According to reports (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10), multiple users are experiencing an issue where they cannot watch the downloaded content on the app while offline.

Allegedly, users receive a ‘Check Your Connection’ error message whenever trying to play any of the downloaded content from the ‘downloads section’ of the app.

On top of that, it has been observed that one can play from their downloaded collection once internet connectivity is restored. This problem has raised several questions about the purpose of the ‘offline viewing’ feature.

@hbomax how is it for 2 years you still have not fixed this bug. I download movies and shows to watch on a 9 hour flight. I board and now the app just says sorry can’t connect and I can’t access my downloads. Kind of defeats the purpose of downloading no?
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You offer the option to download content in case the user wants to watch something offline. So far so good, the problem is that the app does not allow the user to access the content if you it does not have an internet connection. I mean, seriously!?
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Due to this, some HBO Max subscribers are facing problems especially since they may not have internet connectivity all the time. One may like to binge-watch their favorite show or movie while traveling.

For instance, a user on Twitter shared their ordeal, saying that there was no point in downloading shows on the app for a 15-hour-long flight.

Customers feel disappointed and annoyed because this problem spoils their enjoyment.

Fortunately, the developers have officially acknowledged the issue, and it is currently being investigated. Although it must be noted that an official ETA has not been provided.

Some users were asked by HBO to provide some details related to the issue, such as one’s registered email address and device details. This information will help them fix the problem accurately and quickly.

Hi Jake, We want to make sure downloads work great for you. See this article for some common tips and tricks: http://itsh.bo/max-downloads. Let us know if this helps? If not, please provide us with the device that you are streaming on and your HBO Max account email address.

We did come across a potential workaround that could help solve the problem for some HBO Max users.

If someone is experiencing issues while streaming offline content, you may try forcefully closing the app, turning on airplane mode, and then reopening the app.

A Redditor has also suggested that one waits for some time after pressing the play button as the video will eventually load and play.

That said, we’ll keep an eye on the issue where offline viewing is not working on HBO Max and update this article accordingly.

09:57 am (IST): Some users are again reporting (1, 2) that the offline viewing is not working for them.

And while HBO Max support has confirmed, in a recent tweet, that they are working to improve the offline viewing experience, there is still no ETA for the fix.

Hey there, I know that offline viewing isn’t working as expected. We appreciate your patience as we continue to improve the offline viewing experience. Thanks. ^SL (Source)

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated HBO Section so be sure to follow them as well.

Featured image source: HBO Max.

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