If you’re having trouble watching HBO Max with your VPN, don’t panic the reason this has happened is most likely because the VPN your using is no longer able to get around HBO Max’s VPN blocking techniques.
The good news is there’s a number of ways you can fix this issue so you can continue watching HBO Max anywhere in the world.
In this article, we outline the reasons why you’re having trouble watching HBO Max outside the US (with your VPN) and give you the simple steps you need to fix that.
See also:
- How to watch HBO Max outside the US: The EASY way! (May 2023)
- ExpressVPN not working with HBO Max? Here’s some EASY fixes you can try! (May 2023)
HBO Max not working with VPN: Quick guide
If you just want a quick fix, and don’t want to learn why HBO Max might not be working with your VPN, follow these steps.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Delete your cookies
Cookies (sometimes) store information that websites use to determine your location.
If HBO Max not working with your VPN is a one-off, deleting your cookies is the first thing you should try.
Connect to a different server (in the USA)
HBO blocks IP addresses, not VPNs.
If deleting your cookies didn’t work, then connecting to a different server in the US, with a different IP address, is the next thing you should try.
Use a different VPN protocol
VPN protocols are sets of rules that determine how your data is rerouted through your VPN servers.
Check and see if your VPN supports multiple protocols and change to the one you’re not using.
Your VPN might not be working because the protocol you’re using isn’t fast or secure enough to work reliably with HBO Max.
Make sure your VPN is up to date
Your VPN might not be working because of an error or a bug in the software.
These sorts of issues are often resolved by the VPN and fixes are released in updates.
Ensure your VPN is updated to the latest version to guarantee you have fixes that the VPN might have released.
Upgrade to a VPN that works with HBO Max
If the above fixes don’t work, your VPN isn’t good enough to work reliably with HBO Max and all of its IP addresses have been blocked by the streaming service.
The good news is there are VPNs out there that work consistently with HBO Max. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) as we’ve been using it to watch HBO Max in New Zealand reliably for months.
The reason we recommend ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is because it’s one of the fastest VPNs on the market, it’s incredibly secure and it has measures in place to ensure it works reliably with HBO Max.
Although highly unlikely, if an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) gets blocked by HBO Max, ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) will close that IP address and open a new one.
This will allow you to watch HBO Max reliably anywhere in the world and will prevent errors arising like the ones you’re running into with your current VPN.
See also: BBC iPlayer not working with VPN? Here’s how to fix that!
Why has HBO Max stopped working with my VPN?
If you’re VPN has suddenly stopped working with HBO Max, it means that the VPN server and IP address you normally use has been blacklisted by HBO Max (we explain how this happens below). The easiest (and best) workaround you can try is to connect to simply switch servers and try to connect via another one – but below are also some things to try with your current VPN (these are not guaranteed to work though).
Note: If you’re using one of the lower-end VPNs – IPVanish, TunnelBear, HotSpot Shield, Buffered, etc – there’s a strong chance that all of the US server IPs have been blacklisted by HBO Max.
How does HBO Max detect and blacklist VPNs?
Since 2016, online streaming services – Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc -starting actively detecting and blacklisting VPNs.
The way streamers detect and blacklist VPN IP addresses is pretty simple. It’s basically a numbers game.
A normal IP represents a standard residential internet connection. Which means there’s likely to be between 1-8 users connected to the internet at any given time. Which creates the potential for up to nine simultaneous connections to HBO Max (for example). This would be deemed and acceptable.
A VPN Server’s IP address is more likely to be abnormal. This is because there are potentially hundreds/thousands of users connecting to the internet through it. When an abnormal number (8+) of users connect to HBO Max at the same time via the same VPN IP, it gets blacklisted.
It’s as simple as that.
HBO Max not signing in VPN
If you’re using a VPN and HBO Max isn’t signing in. You might be coming across problems like the loading wheel endlessly rotating or the streaming service never loads. If this is happening then the IP address you’ve been given by your VPN has been blocked by HBO Max.
Recently HBO Max has upgraded and improved its VPN detection methods. While the process is essentially the same as the one HBO Max has always used (explained above) the streaming service has got better at detecting VPN IP addresses.
This is why its crucial you use a premium VPN when trying to watch HBO Max outside its broadcast territories. Premium VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) are much more likely to stay one step ahead of HBO Max’s VPN blocking techniques.
Using ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) means you won’t come across issues watching HBO Max like you have with your current VPN, and it will allow you to reliably watch HBO Max anywhere in the world.
How does HBO Max block my VPN?
HBO Max uses three main techniques to block VPNS:
- The most common technique is all to do with the IP addresses ExpressVPN can provide. ExpressVPN has more customers than IP addresses, and this results in customers having to share IPs. HBO Max monitors for an abnormal amount (more than a standard household) of connections coming from the same IP address. When it sees hundreds or thousands of connections coming from the same IP, it knows that this is an ExpressVPN IP address, and it blocks it.
- HBO Max monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- HBO Max teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, HBO Max will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from and it will block you.
How to fix HBO Max not working with VPN
To fix HBO Max not working with VPN, most of the time you need to upgrade to a VPN that has measures in place to ensure it stays compatible with the streaming service.
The VPNs that get blocked by HBO Max are the ones that can’t get around the streaming services intense VPN blocking methods.
The best VPNs for HBO Max are the ones that play a game of cat and mouse with the streaming service. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month). If HBO Max manages to identify and block an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) this VPN will close it and open a new unblocked one so there’s always one for you to connect to.
This seems like a simple measure however most VPNs don’t have the infrastructure or financial backing to ensure there’s always enough IP addresses rolling over. For that reason if you want to watch HBO Max reliably anywhere in the world without running into the same issues you’ve come across with your current VPN, you need to upgrade to ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).
Below is a list of the best VPNs for HBO Max:
What’s the Best VPN for HBO Max?
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2022
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
Special Offer for you!
Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
Special Offer for you
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
Special Offer – Save 83%
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
(30-day money-back guarantee)
VPNs Blacklisted by HBO Max
All VPNs are technically blacklisted by HBO Max. However, the good ones – like NordVPN, Private Internet Access, Ivacy and ExpressVPN – have workarounds in place. The VPNs that don’t will remain blacklisted. From our tests, the following VPNs are currently blacklisted by HBO Max and do not have reliable workarounds in place.
- TunnelBear
- PureVPN
- IPVanish
- HideMyAss
- Windscribe
- HotSpot Shield
- VyprVPN
- Buffered
