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An unwatched movie downloaded in the HBO Max/Max app lasts up to 30 days. Once you start playback, you have 48 hours to finish it. A title can expire sooner if it leaves the service’s catalog. HBO Max/Max documents these rules here: official download guidance.
Download expiration at a glance
| Situation | How long it remains playable | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Downloaded but not started | Up to 30 days after downloading | Start and finish it before the deadline |
| Playback started | 48 hours to finish | Complete the movie within the 48-hour window |
| Title leaves the catalog | May expire before 30 days | Download close to your travel date |
| Download expired | May be renewable | Connect to the internet and choose Renew Download |
The 48-hour period begins when you start watching; it is not another 30-day period. Pausing the movie does not preserve the original unused-download window.
How to renew an expired movie
- Open the HBO Max/Max app.
- Select the Downloads icon.
- Select the expired movie marked with a clock icon.
- Choose Renew Download.
- Connect to the internet when prompted.
Renewal can be performed multiple times, but only while the title is still available, your account remains eligible, and the app can contact the service. Renewal does not provide permanent offline access.
How to prepare for a flight or trip
- Use a plan that includes downloads and a supported mobile device.
- Download the movie while online, preferably shortly before departure.
- Select your preferred audio track and subtitles before downloading; downloads retain those choices when available, including English closed captions when available.
- Open the download and play it for a moment while you still have internet access.
- Do not start a movie days before the trip unless you can finish it within 48 hours.
- Renew any near-expired download before leaving.
A movie can be watched without Wi-Fi once its download is valid. Internet access is still needed to complete or validate downloads, renew them, reauthenticate your account, and confirm availability.
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Which U.S. plans allow downloads?
The following prices and limits were listed for the United States on August 18, 2026; prices can change. Limits apply across the account’s supported mobile devices, not separately on each device.
| Plan | Offline downloads | Listed price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic with Ads | None | $9.99/month or $99.99/year |
| Standard | Up to 30 | $16.99/month or $169.99/year |
| Premium | Up to 100 | $20.99/month or $209.99/year |
Download counts limit how many titles you can store at once; they do not extend the 30-day or 48-hour expiration windows. Some series also limit downloads to 25 episodes from the same series. Plan details are listed by Max at help.max.com/us-en/answer/detail/000002547.
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Choosing a plan
- Standard: the least expensive listed plan with movie downloads.
- Premium: worthwhile for a larger allowance, more simultaneous streams, or select 4K/UHD content—not for longer download life.
- Basic with Ads: unsuitable when offline viewing is required. Switching to it deletes existing downloads.
The Disney+, Hulu, Max bundle with ads includes Max Basic with Ads and therefore no Max downloads. The no-ads bundle includes Max Standard’s download allowance; Max Premium is not included. See Max’s bundle details.
Where downloads work
Max supports downloads on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, most Android phones and tablets, and Amazon Fire tablets. The official guidance does not present downloads as a general feature for desktop browsers, smart TVs, Roku, streaming boxes, or game consoles. A download button may also be absent for a particular movie because of licensing or other content restrictions; examples include some NBCUniversal, Sony, and Lionsgate content.
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Storage, quality and language settings
The app offers Good, Better, and Best download-quality settings. Higher quality uses more storage, while Good is more practical on a phone with limited free space. Max describes these settings at help.max.com/tc-en/Answer/Detail/000002541. Choose audio and subtitle languages before downloading because the saved file uses the selections available at that time.
If a download will not play offline
- Check whether the download has expired or the title has left the catalog.
- Go online and renew it if the Renew Download option appears.
- Confirm that you are signed in to the correct account.
- Close the app.
- Turn on Airplane Mode and turn off Wi-Fi.
- Reopen the app and try the download again.
- On Android, clear the Max app cache if it still will not play.
An account downgrade to Basic with Ads removes downloads, so that problem is separate from ordinary expiration.
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Traveling internationally
Max says titles already downloaded can be watched while traveling in countries or regions where Max is available. Catalogs, licensing rights, and renewal options can differ by country, so download and test the movie before departure rather than relying on an overseas renewal.
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