Note: The HBO Max app has some well-known limits and a set of complex rules that can make offline viewing a headache. This guide will walk you through everything, from the simple fixes to the hidden bugs, so you can finally watch what you want, when you want.
When downloading movies or shows from HBO Max, you may have encountered app notifications that you can't download due to exceeding download limits or other reasons. This detracts from your offline viewing of HBO movies.
You might be curious about the HBO Max download limit and how to overcome these restrictions. This article can answer all of your questions. Read on to see why HBO Max poses such download limits and how to bypass them to enjoy free offline viewing.
Why Does HBO Max Apply Download Limits?
One of the reasons HBO Max imposes limitations on video downloads is to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution of its movies or shows. By putting limits on downloads, HBO Max is also making sure it follows copyright laws and the deals it has with people who make material.
The goal is to keep the experience good for users by reducing the number of videos that can be downloaded. This is done so that when a lot of movies are downloaded at once, the computer doesn't get too busy.
What is HBO Max Download Limit?
Before we talk about how to get around these restrictions, let's take a look at the problems you might run into when you try to download HBO Max movies.
- Downloads Limited to Max App
You can only watch the movies you download from HBO Max in the HBO Max app because what you download is cached data and not video files. Also, HBO Max users can't move saved shows and movies to other devices to watch them when they're not online.
- Limited Supported Devices
You can only use HBO Max and download movies and shows on it on the following devices: Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android phones, tablets, and Amazon Fire tablets. That is to say, users cannot download videos from HBO Max on their computer.
- Limited video storage duration
The HBO Max movies or shows you download will expire. Generally speaking, videos downloaded from Max can only be saved for 30 days. Once you start watching a downloaded video, it will expire within 48 hours.
It's worth noting that if you want to watch these videos offline again, you need to re-download them.
- Limited Content Availability
Although you are able to access the offline viewing function on HBO Max, not all content is available for downloading due to copyright and licensing restrictions.
For example, films from NBC Universal and series from Sony and Lionsgate on HBO Max cannot be downloaded. Some content is unavailable for download in certain regions because of regional restrictions.
- Limits on Number of Titles
The number of videos users can download is limited, though it varies according to different subscription plans. The table below will show the maximum number of videos allowed to be downloaded with different subscription plans.
| Subscription Plan | Price | Maximum Downloads |
| With Ads |
|
No downloads allowed |
| Ad-Free |
|
Up to 30 videos |
| Ultimate Ad-Free |
|
Up to 100 videos |
Namely, although you've subscribed to the Ultimate Ad-Free Plan at $20.99/mo., you're only allowed to download 100 titles across all devices.
Note: Some TV series can only be downloaded up to 25 episodes due to copyright and other reasons. Additionally, both Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free subscribers are limited to downloading a maximum of 30 movies.
The Obvious Reasons: A Quick Checklist
Your Plan Doesn't Allow It: The most straightforward reason is your subscription plan. If you're on the With Ads plan, you get zero downloads. Offline viewing is a feature reserved for the Standard and Premium tiers.
You're on the Wrong Device: HBO Max only allows downloads on mobile devices.On a PC, Mac, laptop, Apple TV, Roku, or any smart TV, you can't watch movies or TV shows. This feature is only available on certain phones and tablets, such as Apple iPhones and iPads, Android phones and tablets, and Amazon Fire tablets.
You've Actually Reached Your Limit: It's possible you've hit the cap.
The Premium plan lets you download 100 files, while the Standard plan only lets you download 30. This amount is the same for all your account. If your partner downloaded 20 shows to their tablet, that will take away from the total number of episodes you can have on your account.
Your Phone's Storage Is Full: Downloads need space. If your device's internal memory is full, the download will fail. A crucial point here is that HBO Max cannot save downloads to an SD card. All content must be stored on your device's primary internal storage.
The Hidden Problem: The "Ghost Download" Bug
If you've gone through the checklist above and you're still getting the "Limit Reached" error—even though you have zero downloads showing in your library—you've likely encountered the infamous "ghost download" bug.
This is a widespread and deeply frustrating issue that HBO Max's official help pages don't talk about. Here’s what happens: sometimes, after the HBO Max app crashes, you reinstall it, or you restore your phone from a backup, the app on your device loses track of your downloads.
However, HBO Max's servers still think those downloads are active on your account. Your device says you have zero downloads, but the server says you have 30, so it blocks you from downloading anything new.
Countless users on forums like Reddit have reported this exact problem. They try deleting and reinstalling the app, clearing the cache, and signing out of all devices, but nothing works.
The Solution of Ghost Download
The single most effective and reliable fix for the ghost download bug is to contact HBO Max customer support and ask them to reset the downloads on your account.
You can usually do this through the live chat feature in the app or on their website. Some users have even had success contacting them via WhatsApp. When you explain the situation—that you're getting a limit error despite having no downloads—the support agent can perform a manual reset on their end.
Within minutes, the bug is cleared, and you should be able to download freely again. It’s a "hidden" solution that solves a problem the official troubleshooting steps can't touch.
How to Remove the HBO Max Download Limits
It's very frustrating to find that the HBO Max download limit reached suddenly, especially before you're going to take a flight or travel for a long time. No worries! The following section provides 2 verified methods to fix the problem.
Here are solutions you can try when HBO Max download limit is reached and when HBO Max downloads are not working. In simple terms, you can upgrade HBO Max, redownload expired videos, or adopt a third-party downloader.
1. Upgrade HBO Max or Renew the Download
If the downloaded videos won't play or there are playback errors, you can try the following steps on your devices, in order to renew your downloads:
- Ensure that you've logged into your account and your subscription is active.
- Update the HBO Max app.
- Make sure your internet connection is stable.
- Redownload HBO Max movies and shows if they have expired.
- Delete downloaded videos or reduce the video quality when downloading if storage space on your device is insufficient, which may cause downloading new videos unavailable.
This method is extremely useful when your downloaded titles are deleted automatically.
2. Download HBO Max Videos with KeepStreams
If you're a frequent traveler, have unreliable internet, or simply want to build a permanent digital library free from expiration dates and device restrictions, you might find the official app's limitations too cumbersome. For these situations, third-party downloader applications like KeepStreams offer a different approach.
Instead of temporarily "renting" the video inside a protected app, these tools are designed to solve the core problems of the official system.
KeepStreams for HBO Max is highly recommended, taking into account its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface. It can download and convert the HBO Max videos into compatible MP4/MKV format, so that you can transfer HBO Max downloads into an SD card.
Moreover, you can save high-quality videos from HBO Max up to Full HD 1080p and even 4K UHD (if you can access to the video). Supported by advanced tech, KeepStreams also services Atmos, EAC3 5.1, AAC 2.0 audio format, and more.
Following steps tell how to download Max videos using KeepStreams, eliminating the limitations imposed by HBO Max App:
Step 1: Launch KeepStreams and Navigate to "HBO Max"
After launching KeepStreams, you need to click "HBO Max", which you can find by clicking the "VIP Service" in the navigation bar on the left.
Step 2: Log in to Your HBO Max Account.
Now login to your own HBO Max account, in order to get access to the videos you want to download. You can rest assured that KeepStreams will never steal your personal information or use it for other purposes than downloading videos.
Step 3: Search and Play the Video You Want to Download.
You can search for a video by typing its title in the search bar. Once you start playing it, the system will automatically analyze it to prepare for the subsequent download process.
Step 4: Customize the Download Formats and Click the "Download Now".
When the analysis ends, you will find a download setting prompt on your screen. The settings about video, audio, subtitle, schedule time, and titles are optional. You can choose them based on your preferences.
Click on "Download Now" and it may take several minutes to finish the download tasks. Now you can directly find the HBO Max shows downloaded in the local folder on your computer. What's more, by using KeepStreams, you can also fix HBO Max error code 100.
Conclusion
Overall, this article answers the questions of what are the limitations of HBO Max video downloads and how to remove them. In order to protect copyrights and prevent the illegal use of downloaded videos, HBO Max imposes restrictions on the maximum number of video downloads, the storage duration, and the supported devices.
This detracts from the user experience when watching HBO Max movies offline to some extent. Fortunately, users can employ third-party downloaders to eliminate the aforementioned restrictions. KeepStreams, with its outstanding functionality and user-friendly features, allows users to download HBO Max movies or shows in high quality and save them permanently.
FAQs
Why do my HBO Max downloads expire?
They expire for two reasons: you haven't watched them within 30 days of downloading, or you've started watching and haven't finished within 48 hours. This is a licensing measure to ensure you remain an active subscriber.
Why are some movies or shows on HBO Max not available for download?
This all comes down to licensing agreements. Warner Bros. Discovery (HBO Max's parent company) may not have the rights from the content owner (like another movie studio) to offer their titles for offline viewing.
Why can't I download movies on HBO Max even though I have space?
This is a classic symptom of two possible issues: either you've hit the separate 30-movie limit (even if you're under your plan's total limit), or you're a victim of the "ghost download" bug. In the latter case, you'll need to contact support for a reset.