HBO Max Picture In Picture iPhone Not Working? Fix Guide

Wondering why HBO Max Picture in Picture iPhone not working? We have got the solution!

A streaming platform like HBO Max has become increasingly popular in recent years.

One of its amazing features is Picture-in-Picture (PiP) which allows you to move from one screen to another while watching your favorite content.

However, some users experience issues!

The HBO Max PiP feature will only work on Apple devices that support iOS 14 or higher firmware version. Another reason for the non-working PiP on HBO Max would be the subscription plan that has to include the feature or simply be app has gone faulty.

Fix HBO Max Picture In Picture Not Working iPhone?

The troubleshooting methods discussed in this guide can help you to get your HBO Max Picture-in-Picture mode issues resolved in easy steps.

Before getting started, ensure that your iPhone is connected with a good internet connection and also fully charged. 

Let’s jump right in!

Solution #1 Force Close & Reopen HBO Max

Sometimes when the app is not closed properly and running in the background, and when opened again, you could experience glitches.

This is why we should start with restarting the HBO Max application and checking whether the Picture-in-Picture mode will work!

Follow the below steps to properly force stop the HBO Max app:

1. While HBO Max is open, press the Home Button or swipe up.
2. You’ll see the application background process floating.
3. Swipe UP, to remove the app from the temporal memory.
4. Open the application and test enabling the PiP mode!

Tip: We recommend restarting the iPhone if the problem still persists.

Solution #2 Turn On The Picture-In-Picture Mode

The very first step is to make sure that the PiP mode is enabled in your iPhone settings before moving on to any other solutions.

Besides the PiP mode activation in the HBO Max app, you need to also enable the feature in your iPhone’s settings! 

Here is how you can enable the PiP from iPhone settings:

1. Go to iPhone Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Select the Picture in Picture mode from the list.
4. Enable the toggle to start PiP automatically.

Tip: If the toggle is already turned on, turn it off, wait a minute, then turn it back on to refresh.

Solution #3 Check Your Subscription Plan

Not all HBO Max subscriptions allow Picture-in-Picture mode! 

HBO Max offers two plans, Ads-Free and with Ads. Unfortunately, you cannot use PiP mode if your plan is not ad-free, since the feature is not included.

The only plan with a PiP option is the HBO Max Ads-Free Subscription so make sure to upgrade, to continue.

Here is how to check your HBO Max subscription plan:

1. Open HBO Max mobile app on your iPhone.
2. Click on the Profile from the top right corner and go to Settings. 
3. From the settings, look for a Subscription and open it. 
4. Now you can see your plan name that is currently logged in for HBO Max. 

Note: It is recommended that you upgrade your Ads plan to Ads-Free if you want to use PiP.

Solution #3 Check iPhone Compatibility

After checking the HBO Max subscription plan, if you have an Ads-Free plan but still PiP mode cannot work, then check for your iPhone compatibility.

Since not all the iPhone iOS versions support Picture-in-Picture mode we need to check the iOS version and possibly upgrade!

Only Apple devices with iOS 14 or higher will be able to activate Picture-in-Picture!

Here is the way to upgrade the iPhone iOS firmware:

1. Go to iPhone Settings. 
2. Tap on General, then look for Software Update. 
3. Upgrade your iPhone version if available from the bottom Upgrade button.
4. This updating process takes some time to complete. 

Once the version is upgraded, then go and try to enable the PiP mode from the HBO Max app! 

Note: For older iPhones where iOS 14 can be installed, PiP mode will never work!

Solution #4 Update/Reinstall HBO Max App

There may be a chance that you are using an outdated HBO Max app version, and that’s why the Picture-in-Picture mode is not working properly.

When the new version is released, it comes up with many bugs and feature fixes, so, it is necessary to freshly reinstall the application.

Here is a way to reinstall/update the HBO Max app:

1. Go to the App Store. 
2. Click on your Profile from the top right corner.
3. Look for the HBO Max app from the list of apps.
4. If you found the HBO app, press Update.

If you can’t find the HBO app from the updated waiting list, then your app is already up to date.

In that case, simply Uninstall the app from your iPhone and cleanly download it from the App Store.

In case this doesn’t help, proceed with the next solution!

Tip: When the application is reinstalled, you will be signed out of your HBO Max account!

Solution #5 Clear HBO Max App Cache!

When HBO Max Picture in Picture iPhone not working, the next best step is to remove the application cache, which will provide HBO Max with a fresh start.

The reason we will clear the cache is that this data collects activity logs, also called reserved memory space.

When the cache data is corrupted, it can impact the application’s performance!

Here’s how to clear app data and cache on any iPhone:

1. From Settings, select General.
2. Then go to Storage & iCloud Usage.
3. Press on Manage Storage at the top.
4. Choose the HBO Max application.
5. Select Offload App.

It’s important for the application to remain closed while performing the operation.

When the cached data has been deleted, when you open the application it will generate new, fresh cache data but this time the Picture-in-Picture mode should be working.

Tip: Double-check if the PiP mode is enabled in the iPhone’s settings!

Solution #6 Reset ALL iPhone Settings!

If the Picture-in-Picture mode in the HBO app for the iPhone still doesn’t work after trying the solutions above, then it’s time for a Factory Reset. 

Resetting a device is one of the best solutions for fixing any issues related to functionalities and features such as the PiP mode.

Remember that following a reset, all the iPhone settings will revert to their default state, so you will need to configure everything from scratch again!

Here is how to reset the iPhone settings:

1. Go to your iPhone Settings.
2. Look for the General, and click on the Reset button.
3. Tap on the Reset All Settings option.
4. Enter the iPhone password to proceed.
5. Confirm the Reset All Settings option from the pop-up.

After completing the reset, download the HBO app from the App Store and enable the PiP mode from the settings.

The mode should now be working, otherwise, something general is wrong!

Let’s find out what’s the next step…

HBO Max Picture In Picture Not Working On iPhone? 

In case you’ve attempted all of the solutions above and made sure that everything is as it should be, but PiP mode on HBO Max is still not working, don’t worry.

Sometimes application features but all you need to do is wait for the next update of the application. 

Perhaps the problem is on their side!

With a bit of luck, the issue will be gone as soon as the application receives a hotfix.

In the meantime, you can test whether the PiP mode on HBO Max would work on another iPhone or even an Android device.

This will help you justify whether the problem is on your side or not.

Need Help?

Keep in mind that HBO Max Customer Service is always at your disposal. You can contact them via the email address or phone number and report your issue in detail.

Perhaps the support team would discover the problem in no time and get back to you with a solution!

Good Luck!

Quick Recap:

Hence, you can solve the PiP HBO Max mode on iPhone by restarting the device, and erasing the application cache data. In case that doesn’t help, you need to make sure that the PiP mode is enabled in the device’s settings and keep the app up to date!

Check out our next helpful guides on HBO Max:

1. How to Fix HBO Max Not Working On Safari?
2. How to Fix HBO Max Not Working on Samsung TV?
3. How Do I Get HBO Max on My LG TV?

Wrapping Up:

Now that we’ve learned why HBO Max Picture in Picture iPhone not working and how to solve the problem in a matter of minutes, we’re ready to multitask.

We have covered every possible solution in this guide so if you’ve followed everything, the issue should be gone!