HBO Max has officially launched in the US, and with it comes a huge lineup of great shows and popular films including DC superhero movies like Justice League: The Snyder Cut, Friends, Game of Thrones, Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli movies and a ton of other content from HBO and WarnerMedia. But can you get access to HBO Max in the UK? And if so, how? In this article, we discuss everything you need to watch HBO Max UK. 

How To Watch HBO Max UK In 2021

HBO Max is not available in the UK:

Unlike some other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, gaining access to HBO Max in the international market is tough. There is no HBO Max in the UK, Canada, or anywhere else in the world other than the US and US territories.

So, are you out of luck if you want to gain access to HBO Max in the UK? 

Should you quit? 

Not really – if you follow this one hack below – you can get access to the HBO Max streaming library if you’re in the UK. 

How to watch shows on HBO Max UK?

While US viewers can quickly gain access to all the shows and films available on HBO Max, international viewers are sadly missing access to this streaming giant that has the likes of the DC catalogue, Friends, the Studio Ghibli movies, and new HBO shows such as Lovecraft Country.

Fortunately, we’ve managed to successfully find a workaround. Whether you’re an American subscriber who is traveling, or you’re a UK resident looking to gain access for this service, read on to learn more about how to watch HBO Max in the UK with a VPN. 

How can I watch the Friends Reunion on HBO Max Uk?

Here’s a quick way for you to access HBO Max from the UK. 

Watch the likes of HBO Max, Hulu, The CW and Netflix – through using a VPN. 

This method can be used to watch the latest HBO Max release, the Friends reunion special and more! 

Gain access to HBO Max UK using a VPN:

First and foremost there is no HBO Max UK. Only the US version exists in the world right now but we use the term to mean that you can access it in the United Kingdom through a VPN.  To sign up for an HBO Max subscription you have to go to the HBO Max website as one usually does to create accounts on Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. 

However, you won’t be able to open the website on your normal UK browser but this is easily overcome through the use of a VPN. Having a VPN (virtual private network) permits you to change your IP address so you can access the internet as if you’re based in another country – in this case, the USA. So, for HBO Max, you will need a US server. 

To start off with, browse the interest for the best VPNs for HBO Max.

Once you’ve selected your VPN, you’ve gotten past the first hurdle of watching HBO Max. The next will be when you need to input your payment information or billing info for HBO Max

For the next step, you’ll need the HBO Max app. Once you’ve signed up for your VPN of choice, you’ll need to download it on your smartphone on either your iOS or Android device. 

The HBO Max website presently only allows you to sign up if you have a payment card that’s tied to the US. If you don’t have that, here are the steps you should take:

1. Launch your VPN on your iOS/Android smartphone and connect to a US server
2. Make a new Apple ID/Google Play account in your browser that’s tied to the US (leave the country as blank – do not enter anything here)
3. Register your new account on your iOS/Android smartphone app store
4. Now, you should have access to the US app store – all you’ve got to do is download and install the HBO Max app
5. After this, Tap ‘skip’ if the app store asks you to add payment information to your account
6. Now, make a new account in the HBO Max app with your email address and password
7. Use the help of PayPal as your method of payment (this can be a HBO Max UK account)
8. After your account is verified, you can log in from any device. 

Other things to look out for: 

Some online blogs had reports of people not being able to install HBO Max on iOS as the app store forces users to register their payment details within the app store, and doesn’t take UK PayPal if you try to register with this account. 

If this happens to you, bloggers have said to purchase a US App Store credit via a digital gift card – which can be added as a US payment option.

This can be purchased from places such as Amazon US, though there are other retailers available – you’ll need a website that permits you to pay with UK bank details. The typical minimum amount you can buy will be $25. This amount is enough to cover one month’s subscription of HBO Max for $14.99, or for $9.99 which is their cheaper ad-supported tier.

If you set your email address as the recipient, the code to redeem the money will be sent to your inbox. When you come to add the payment information, choose ‘redeem gift card or code’, and you should be able to add the money as credit on your account.

With this, you should then be able to log in to an HBO Max account – and you should be able to change your payment information back to your UK PayPal via the website to prevent having to pay for a new gift card every single time.

You should now be able to watch HBO Max as if you were in the US, provided you have a VPN on whatever device you’re using – you’ll need to use the VPN each time you want to watch something.

As always when using a VPN to access content on international grounds, be aware that you’ll be in violation of HBO Max’s terms of use, so the company could theoretically cancel your account if it senses you’re using a VPN. Please continue at your own risk.