[Updated] HBO Max issue where app keeps freezing & then crashes back to Roku home screen still troubles many

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on July 06, 2021) follows:

Roku Players are a great solution if you want to stream movies and channels on your TV as they give you access to a lot of free and paid content.

With access to more than 4,000 channels, you can stream almost anything from the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video.

Roku also added support for HBO Max in December last year. However, ever since the HBO Max app launched on Roku, users have complained that the app freezes and crashes frequently.

Now, users are complaining that the app crashes after showing the HBO logo, and they are returned to the Roku home screen.

Responding to a complaint, a Roku employee has stated that HBO Max is responsible for maintaining and developing the channel directly, and it is a problem from their end.

Since then, Roku users are juggling between Roku assistance and HBO customer support with no solution in sight.

The problem was supposedly addressed by an update to the HBO Max app few months ago, but it looks like the update did not fix the issue for everyone.

Users are now coming out on the community forum and Twitter and complaining that the HBO Max app is crashing again on their Roku devices.

@hbomax
I’m streaming on a Roku box thru my cable provider, and the app won’t allow me to start movies. It buffers then completely shuts off the app.

(Source)

If the HBO Max app crashes on your Roku device, here are some workarounds that might come in handy:

– Try logging out of HBO on all devices, uninstall the HBO Max app on your Roku, reinstall the app and log in again.
– Wait for the home screen page to load fully before browsing the HBO Max app.
– Search HBO Max content from Roku Search and play the movie from the results. The app will ask who’s watching and start playing the movie without any issues.
– For those experiencing crashes after watching the preview, watch the movie on another device for a while and resume from your Roku device. The playback will resume as intended.

It is interesting to note that many users that have reported the crash sport old Roku devices. Hence, the issue might be due to the aging hardware but that’s just speculation.

In that case, it is not HBO at fault since Roku basically allowed the apps to run on systems that do not meet the minimum system requirements.

Or it might be entirely HBO’s fault since many other platforms also have issues with the HBO Max app.

Whatever the case might be, users are increasingly frustrated due to the lack of solution in the last 6 months. Many people have already canceled their subscription to HBO Max or are on the verge of doing so.

Is the HBO Max app working on your Roku device? Let us know in the comments below!

Update 1 (July 9)

Apart from troubleshooting, HBO Max support is suggesting the affected to do as below:

We have some steps that should help you here. Could you please try uninstalling HBO Max, but this time turn off your Roku completely for at least two minutes before turning it back on and reinstalling the app? Please let us know if these issues still occur after.

Update 2 (July 13)

Uninstalling and re-installing the app from Roku is the new workaround that HBO Max support is suggesting the complainants to try hand on. Here’s what they say:

we are aware of this and have a work-around you can try if uninstalling and reinstalling HBO Max from the Roku Streaming Channels store does not help.

Update 3 (July 14)

It seems users of the Roku Express devices are experiencing the issue where pressing the back button in apps like Hulu takes them back to the home screen. While the issue appears to be similar to the one with the HBO Max app, it is unclear whether Roku is working on a solution or not.

I recently upgraded to the newest Roku Express and it started randomly returning me to the home screen when I use the back button in several, if not all, of the apps I use regularly and most often in the Hulu app. This occurred before and after the latest update though not when I first got it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Source

Update 4 (July 15)

HBO has now officially acknowledged the crash issues by saying the following:

Our team is aware of the crashing issue that’s happening on Roku. We’re working on a fix and hoping to have an update for everyone soon.
Source

Update 5 (July 27)

As per a recent report from Bloomberg, users, those with Roku devices in particular, are quite unsatisfied with the HBO Max app because of issues like freezing, crashing, and more. However, the AT&T owned streaming service is still yet to address these many more issues properly.

Update 6 (August 02)

HBO Max has now officially suggested the following workaround as a solution:

Hi, we’d like to get rid of that crashing error for you, and get you back to Bill Maher! As a quick general fix, we recommend uninstalling and reinstalling the HBO Max app, as well as restarting the device. Please DM us if you’d like further assistance. Thanks! ^SK
Source

Update 7 (August 03)

The official HBO Max Help webpage indicates that the company released a new update for Roku devices and is advising users to download the latest software to fix the issue. Here’s how you can check for an update:

We recently updated the HBO Max app. To update HBO Max, press the Home button on your Roku remote, then go to Settings > System > System update > Check now. (Source)

Update 8 (August 11)

HBO Max support is asking users to sign out and restart the application on their Roku devices as a measure to fix common issues. So we’d suggest giving this a shot too if you haven’t already.

Hello, thanks for contacting our team about this. What are you seeing when you try to open HBO Max on your Roku devices? Have you had any luck signing out and restarting the app? Please let us know! (Source)

Update 9 (August 13)

HBO Max is reportedly working on developing a brand new application rather than just patching the various bugs and issues plaguing the existing app. The new app will first go live for Roku users and PlayStation customers according to a WarnerMedia exec.

This new application will supposedly be ready within the next 4 to 5 months. Hence, users will have to deal with the various bugs until then, if they aren’t addressed till the new app’s ready.

Update 10 (August 16)

HBO Max support is suggesting that users perform the following process in order to address the problem on Roku devices if they weren’t able to fix it via the official troubleshooting steps:

One last thing we would like you to try is resetting your network (router and modem). If that does not work, please DM us, so we can gather more information from you. Thanks. (Source)

Update 11 (August 19)

A section of Hulu users on Roku has been facing an issue where they run into an error when launching the Hulu app on Roku. Now, it is coming to light that Hulu is currently investigating this issue.

Update 12 (August 21)

One of our readers has confirmed — in the comments section below — that performing the following steps did the trick for them:

Finally before canceling my subscription I tried logging out deleting the app, went to the browser logout of all de devices, RESET my password, on my device reset to factory settings (not sure if necessary), that finally worked for me

Hence you may want to try out these steps to see if they work for you. Thanks for the heads up, Eri Arellano!

IST 2:13 pm: Well, months later and still, Hulu users on Roku are still facing issues with the app as it reportedly can’t open.

Hulu app on my Roku continues to close. Can’t open it at all. At times I can click on which profile I’m using then it just takes me back to home Roku screen. Have uninstalled and reinstalled several times. Reset Roku several times too
Source

In response to these reports, Hulu says that there still aren’t any timelines to when this issue is set to be addressed.

We don’t have an ETA to share for a fix but rest assured we’re working on this with high priority. Thanks for hanging in there!
Source

With that, the wait continues. We shall continue to keep an eye on this and update as and when we get new info so stay tuned.

IST 4:30 pm: In a recent response to a user’s complaint on Twitter, HBO support claimed that the company is working to make the HBO Max experience on Roku the best. Hence, it’s possible that we may see the new app sooner rather than later.

I can share with you that our team is working really hard to make the HBO Max experience on Roku the best. We hope to have an update for you very soon! (Source)

IST 4:32 pm: While the HBO Max app remains a mess on most platforms, the company has reportedly released a new app for Vizio SmartCast TVs. Hence, users with supported Vizio TVs will no longer have to use the cast feature to view content on their TV sets.

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