Too Expensive? Nothing to Watch? How to Cancel HBO Max

If you’re trying to keep streaming costs down, it’s tough going these days. Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Apple TV+ all raised prices in 2022, and HBO Max followed suit in January.

In May, meanwhile, when HBO Max merges with Discovery+ to become Max, those who want ad-free 4K video and support for more than two concurrent streams will have to pay $19.99 per month, a $5 price hike.

If that’s beyond your budget, or you’re dissatisfied with HBO Max pulling tons of content to keep costs down while charging you more (PSA: head over to The Roku Channel for some of those shows and movies), it may be time to cancel HBO Max.

How you cancel the service depends on how you subscribe. If you receive your account through a TV or wireless provider, you’ll need to contact them directly to cancel your subscription. If you subscribe directly through the app or website, follow the steps below. (Note that HBO recommends cancelling no later than two days before your next billing cycle.)

To cancel HBO Max on the web, open to HBOMax.com(Opens in a new window) and sign into your account. Choose a user profile, click the user profile in the top-right corner of the screen, and click Settings in the drop-down menu. If you’re in the app, click your profile, then choose the settings gear in the top right.

From this page, you can see all your account information, including email address, password, and name. Under the Subscription section will be all your billing information, including your plan, payment method, and next billing date.

Click the Manage Subscription button to view a website with your account billing information. If you are in the mobile app, you will be taken to the same web page.

From here, click Switch Plans to move between the service’s ad-free and ad-supported plans. Click Cancel Subscription to stop payments completely. HBO Max may offer you the ad-based plan for a cheaper price as a last-ditch effort to keep you subscribed.

If you want to continue with the cancellation, the website will present you with a questionnaire on why you want to cancel your subscription. Click Yes, Cancel Subscription and your subscription will be canceled. A confirmation email should then be sent to the account holder’s inbox.