How to watch HBO Max outside the US: The EASY way! (September 2023)

If you’re trying to watch HBO Max outside the US, you’ll notice you can’t access the streaming service. You’ll come across an error saying “Sorry, HBO MAX isn’t available in your region yet.”

This is happening because of licensing and copyright restrictions, and even more frustrating, even if you’re already an HBO Max subscriber, you’ll still run into this error.

But, don’t panic. There’s an easy way to fix this problem. All you need to do is make HBO Max think you’re watching it from within the US.

To do that, you need a reliable VPN.

This article will explain how to watch HBO Max outside the US with a VPN. Read to the end to find out the best VPNs to watch HBO Max anywhere in the world.

See also:

• HBO Max not working with VPN? There’s an EASY workaround!
• How to watch HBO Max in Mexico: The EASIEST method! (September 2023)

How to watch HBO Max outside the US: Quick Guide

To watch HBO Max outside the US, you need a US IP address. Follow these simple steps to get one:

How to create an HBO Max account outside the US

Using a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will remove the “HBO Max is not available in your region,” error that you’re coming across when going on the streaming service. However, if you don’t already have an HBO Max account, there is another slight hurdle you’ll have to get over before you can watch HBO Max outside the US.

To create an HBO Max account, HBO only accepts US forms of payment.

Don’t panic though, if you don’t have a US credit card or a friend living in the US, there’s a very easy way to create an HBO Max anywhere. All you need is an Android or Apple phone. Follow the steps below to create an HBO Max account:

Android

1. Create a new Google Play account and login to it on the Google Play store
2. Download and install ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) on your Android phone
3. Connect to a US server on ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
4. Open up your Google Play Account
5. Click Settings
6. Click General
7. Click account and device preferences
8. Change your location to the US
9. Put in your credit card details
10. Close Google Play and open it again (you should be on the US version of the Google Play Store)
11. Download and Install HBO Max
12. Create an HBO Max account (you can use your local credit card)

Apple

1. Download and install ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
2. Connect to a US server
3. Create a new iCloud account
4. Login with your new iCloud account
5. Go to settings and click media and purchases
6. Click view account
7. Change country to the US
8. Download HBO Max on the App store

Why can’t I watch HBO Max outside the US?

HBO Max is only available in the US. It only has the rights to broadcast its content in the States. It doesn’t have international broadcast rights.

Similar to other streaming services like Hulu, and Paramount+, HBO Max is subject to its licensing agreements. If it made itself available to customers outside the US, it could face serious copyright and licensing repercussions.

To prevent these issues arising, HBO Max uses geo-blocking technology that prevents anyone outside of the US from accessing its content. These geo-blocks are the reason you’re running into errors when trying to connect to HBO Max.

How does HBO Max block my connection?

HBO Max uses geo-blocking technology that determines your physical location via your IP address.

Whenever you go on the internet, your device is given a unique IP address. This IP contains information about your location. 

When you connect to HBO Max, it scans your IP address to figure out where you’re located. 

Once it does this, you’ll only be able to access the shows that HBO Max has the rights to broadcast in your location.

How can I get around HBO Max’s blocks?

To access the more extensive HBO Max libraries like the US one, you need to change your IP address to a US IP address. This will make HBO Max think you’re in the US when you connect to its service. 

When you connect to HBO Max with a US IP address, the streaming service will think you’re inside its broadcast zone, and the shows you weren’t able to access will now be available for you. 

The best way to get a US IP address is using a reliable VPN. VPNs make the process easy, and the best VPNs will allow you to watch HBO Max anywhere in the world reliably. 

We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).

How does a VPN work?

VPNs are very good at allowing you to watch HBO Max anywhere in the world because they provide two essential things.

First, they encrypt all your online data into an unreadable code. This encryption process provides you with an anonymous internet connection, so HBO Max can’t determine your location.

Second, they reroute that data through their servers, where it’s decrypted and sent to a local internet service provider in a country of your choosing. 

This will allow you to trick HBO Max into thinking you’re in the US. And you’ll be able to watch any HBO Max library anywhere in the world. 

Will any VPN work with HBO Max?

Because VPNs are a well-known way to watch HBO Max outside its broadcast zone, the streaming service tries to block VPNs from connecting to its service.

It cannot block a VPN completely; however it can block the IP addresses the VPN provides.

It does this using three main techniques:

1. The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than IP addresses; this means that customers are forced to share the same IP addresses. Usually, only a household with a few devices uses the same IP address. When HBO Max sees hundreds or even thousands of connections coming through on the same IP address, it knows that it is a VPN, and it blocks it. 
2. HBO Max monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
3. 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.

For free VPNs, these methods are challenging to get around.

The good news is, the best VPNs can get around these blocking techniques. When HBO Max blocks an IP address provided by a VPN, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will close that IP address and open a new one. This keeps them one step ahead of HBO Max, and most importantly, it allows you to watch HBO Max anywhere in the world reliably. 

How to watch HBO Max outside the US

The process is simple. First, you need to make HBO Max think you’re accessing it from within the US. To do this, you need a US IP address and the easiest way to get one is with a VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).

Once you’ve downloaded one of these VPNs, select a US server, and you’ll be automatically given a US IP address.

Now you’ll be able to access HBO Max outside the US.

The best VPNs to watch HBO Max outside the US 

List of VPNs Blacklisted by HBO Max

All VPNs are technically blacklisted by HBO Max. However, the good ones – like ExpressVPN, Ivacy and NordVPN – 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

Related: Netflix detecting VPN? here’s how to fix that!