HBO is finally doing something about its crappy TV apps

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HBO Max is confusing on its own, but when you add in glitchy smart TV apps, the whole experience just breaks down. HBO’s parent company, WarnerMedia, seems to know this and is planning to replace all of its smart TV apps with new, working versions over the “next four or five months.”

The first apps to be replaced will be the ones for Roku and PlayStation. Apple TV will get the updated app closer to the end of the year, and mobile and desktop users will have to wait for early 2022.

That’s good news for anyone still subscribed to HBO after the end of Game of Thrones, or even after HBO decided that it won’t be showing new Warner Bros. movies on the streaming service at the same time as the theatrical release next year.

I mean, you subscribe to be able to watch shows on your streaming service, right? Unfortunately, that’s been increasingly difficult for HBO Max users, with a huge number of glitches.

These include the Apple TV app being almost unusable back in June when HBO decided to use its own APIs instead of Apple’s tvOS player. Some of the issues are still ongoing, like not being able to fast-forward or rewind titles with longer watch times.

It’s not just Apple fans either. Roku users have to deal with even more glitches on their version of the app. Those include general slowness, repeated freezes, or even the app crashing when you’re trying to watch content.

So yes, the HBO Max app on Roku doesn’t even play videos for some users. Seems to me like a service that costs $14.99 a month should at least work, no?

That’s the hope once the revamped versions of the app arrive in the upcoming months. Just let me watch Westworld in peace, without crashes. That’s all I ask.

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Editors’ Recommendations:

• HBO Max is introducing its cheaper ad-supported tier in June
• You’ll soon be able to get HBO Max cheaper if you don’t mind watching some ads
• NBCUniversal is considering removing movies from HBO and Netflix in favor of Peacock
• Warner Bros. will be back in theaters in 2022, with HBO Max no longer getting new movies

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.