HBO Max Password Sharing Explained (& How Many People Can Stream At Once)

Warner Media’s new streaming service HBO Max, like many streaming platforms, isn’t limited to a single user, and here’s how many can partake at once. As of May 27, 2020, Warner Media has officially taken a dive into the overflowing pool of subscription streaming video. Down at the deep end of the pool are the established players, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. A little further out are services like Disney+ and Apple TV+, while various niche services such as WWE Network and Shudder carve out space on the sides.

Like Disney+, which is quickly making its way into the upper echelon of streamers, HBO Max is hoping to leverage various killer IPs to try and chip away at Netflix, Hulu, and Prime’s market dominance. HBO Max comes armed with some big guns, including lots of movies based on DC Comics, classic TV series like Friends and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and major franchises like A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Lord of the Rings.

That’s not to mention the various original movies and TV shows planned for HBO Max’s first few months, some of which will be available at launch. HBO Max may not be a Netflix killer, but it hopes to compete, and naturally, many people will be looking to experience what the service has to offer, sometimes all at the same time.

HBO Max Password Sharing Explained (& How Many People Can Stream At Once)

Notably, HBO Max allows different user profiles to be added to one account, a feature found on most streaming services, but curiously never added to HBO Now, despite user demand. Up to five distinct profiles can be created as part of a single HBO Max account, making it theoretically possible to share with four other friends or family members. Profiles can also be tailored to kids or adults, with parental controls available for the former.

That said, there’s a hitch involved, as HBO Max only allows up to three concurrent streams from the same account at any given time. This means that if five people have profiles on the same HBO Max account, only three of those users can be streaming at any one moment in time. It’s a bit of an odd setup, although the three stream limit is the same as that found on HBO Now. However, mobile devices and tablets can download movies and shows for later viewing, and once downloaded, no longer count toward the stream limit if watched, offering one way around the issue.