HBO Max plans to fix its buggy Apple TV app “within days,” while other platforms will see big fixes before the end of the year.
Users have been plagued by issues that affect playback control, subtitles, and general usability. Executives insist they aren’t blind to the problems, and a major overhaul for all platforms is on the way.
HBO Max has rolled out a number of fixes to address significant issues with its streaming apps in recent months. But on most platforms, including Apple TV, there are niggles that remain for what seems like a large number of users.
The good news for subscribers is that HBO Max executives have acknowledged the problems — and they say major fixes are on the way. Those who watch HBO Max on Apple TV can expect them very soon.
Execs aware of HBO Max issues
“They’re well aware of the issues plaguing the user experience and have been scrambling to fix things,” reports Vulture. “The biggest problems with the Apple interface were addressed within weeks, and a company source tells me the remaining errors should be corrected within days.”
A number of executive sources who have spoken out about the problems blame the issues on a number of different things — including the launch of a new ad-supported tier back in June, and the expansion of HBO Max into 39 new countries and territories just a few weeks later.
“However, the larger issue, according to HBO Max insiders, is that the current app wasn’t built from scratch the way Netflix or Hulu were brought to life,” the report continues. “Instead, Max has been running on a retrofitted version of the old HBO Go and HBO Now services.”
While some subscribers may feel like the issues and complaints have been ignored, one executive insists that’s not the case. “We see the crash logs,” he told Vulture. “We’re not blind to it.”
New HBO Max app on the way
Engineers have scrambled to patch the app’s most significant bugs in recent months — just to ensure users can keep watching — but HBO Max plans a more substantial fix before the end of the year: A brand-new app, built from the ground up to better suit the needs of HBO Max today.
“We’re going to replace every single connected TV app in the next four or five months,” one WarnerMedia executive said. Roku users, those most affected by the issues right now, are said to be first in line to get the new app, along with those on PlayStation. Apple TV customers will have to wait a little longer.
It is believed, however, that tvOS users will see the new HBO Max by the end of the way, while a big revamp for mobile and web users is planned for 2022. One executive promised the overhaul will be “wildly better” than what users have come to expect from HBO Max so far.
