What HBO Max shows: "Are you using a VPN?" HBO Max stops playback, or says it isn't available in your region.
HBO Max Sees This Address:
216.73.217.22
Columbus, Ohio, United States · Anthropic, PBC
Your address looks like a normal home or mobile connection. If HBO Max still complains, check the MAYBE rows and the fixes below.
What HBO Max Can Tell From Your Connection
Datacenter address:
Anthropic, PBC is a home or mobile provider
No
VPN app:
No known VPN network
No
iCloud Private Relay:
Not an Apple or Cloudflare relay address
No
Shared mobile address:
Not a mobile network
No
Cloudflare WARP:
checking…
Clock vs Address:
checking…
Why HBO Max does this
HBO Max streams different titles in different countries. Its help center treats this message as a location problem: the app can't see your real location through a VPN, proxy or anonymizer.
Live sports and news depend on where you are too, so location problems show up there first.
How to fix it
Turn off any VPN, proxy or anonymizer, including iCloud Private Relay, then close and reopen HBO Max.
Restart your modem and router, then try again on the same device.
On a computer, try another supported browser or clear the site's cookies.
Still stuck? HBO Max support asks for your internet provider's name and your IP address: both are shown at the top of this page.
Fixed something? Reload this page: the checks above update with your new connection.
Why does HBO Max think I'm using a VPN when I'm not?
Your address is on a list of VPN or proxy addresses, or it belongs to a privacy relay such as iCloud Private Relay. HBO Max judges the address, not your apps.
What do I tell HBO Max support?
Your internet provider's name and your IP address. This page shows both at the top, with a Copy button.
