Max password sharing: everything you need to know about the impending crackdown

Max is the next streaming service hoping to put a stop to password sharing among subscribers. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) confirmed the password-sharing crackdown plans earlier this year and has since revealed when we can expect to learn more about when the new account restrictions will start to be enforced.

This news comes after a Max price hike, which saw an increase of $1 a month and $10 per year in June 2024. The streamer's proposed password-sharing crackdown is essentially another form of a price rise, and more may be on the way over the coming months.

If you're subscribed to some of the best streaming services, you'll be all too familiar with their efforts to crack down on password sharing. Netflix's password-sharing clampdown began in May 2023 and was followed by the Disney Plus password-sharing crackdown in Canada, the US, and UK (alongside Hulu in the US) in September 2024.

So, if you want to continue watching the best Max shows and best Max movies, you'll want to know when these changes might take effect and what they'll involve, which we'll go into below. We'll be updating this article as soon as we have more up to date information regarding Max's password crackdown plans.

What are the Max password sharing rules?

Max is in the early stages of implementing a password-sharing crackdown. We learned more about Max's password-sharing crackdown in November following WBD's earnings call, where the company's CEO of streaming JB Perrette said that it would start to share some "very soft messaging" later in December 2024.

These "gentle messages" encouraging users to stop sharing their passwords started to show up for some users in late 2024, with Perrette clarifying that WBD would "start some early messaging with some people who we think are in the higher tier of usage. We will offer a way to essentially add a member, starting in the first quarter".

We don't have an exact confirmed date for when that process will officially take effect, but Perrette did say that more progress on the crack down would occur during 2025 and 2026, so we can expect to hear more about when the changes will be enforced soon.

"We will then start gradually as we get the data and start figuring out, with some explicit and implicit signals, how good we are at detecting," Perrette says. "And then as we go through ’25, you’re going to see the filters get tighter and tighter.”

That means we can expect new member fees to launch some time in early 2025, which would require existing subscribers to pay for any additional members that they would like to continue to have access to their account.

How will Max stop password sharing?

Max has not yet given clear guidance, but it has previously noted how well Netflix implemented the changes with its own service, so it is likely they will adopt a similar format to ensure people from different households aren't sharing the same accounts.

Speaking at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom conference in March 2024, WBD head of global streaming and games JB Perrette said: “We’re launching in a bunch of European markets as we go into the second and third quarter.

"And password sharing crack down, which, obviously, Netflix has implemented extremely successfully. We’re going to be doing that starting later this year and into ‘25, which is another growth opportunity for us.”

How much is Max charging for password sharing?

Max hasn't enforced the restriction yet, but Max does have a more expensive tier called "Ultimate Ad Free", which allows you to stream on four devices at once in the same household, so provided you're living together, you'll be able to share the account with up to four other people.

The Max plan costs $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year. This is the highest of the available tiers, as the cheapest is "With Ads" for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year or "Ad-Free" at $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year – both of which only let you stream on two devices at the same time.

As well as the ability to stream simultaneously with other household members, there are other benefits that come with the higher price tag, so it might be worth it if you use Max often.

These include the ability to stream in 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio, but these are as available on selected titles so there's no guarantee every title in the library will be compatible with high definition streaming. You can also have up to 100 downloads to watch on the go if you're traveling and need to stream offline.

What if I subscribed through a bundle from another company?

We are anticipating that all Max subscribers will be affected by the change, if it will be following Netflix and Disney Plus' password crackdown models. That means that the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max mega bundle will also be impacted by the new account restrictions when these are enforced.

What if I want to use my Max account on holiday, or if I'm travelling for work?

We don't know about Max's plans around this yet. At the time of writing, if you want to stream Max content while you're abroad, you can only do so if it is available in the country you're visiting.

The service is now accessible outside of the US. It's available in Europe, except in the UK but that will change in 2026 when Max eventually launches in the country, Latin America and the Caribbean. It's also expected to arrive in Australia in the first half of 2025. For a full list of all the countries, visit the help page on Max's site to find where it's available.

Will Max let me use a VPN?

Max, like other streaming services does block known IP addresses associated with some VPN networks, so it is not always guaranteed that you can stream using one.

If you are considering trying one of the best VPNs, you should be aware that it's a potentially risky move, and what works today may well be blocked tomorrow.