All about Kid profiles

There are two types of profiles: Adult and Kid. Your account can have up to 5 profiles. You can create a Kid profile for each of your kids with parental controls that limit what content can be watched.

Why create Kid profiles?

  • Parental controls. You can limit what your child can watch based on content ratings.
  • The Kids Home page has shows and movies based on your child's age. Younger children (ages 2-9) can discover titles by selecting their favorite character's picture (e.g. Elmo or Scooby Doo).
  • Your child has their own My List and Continue Watching list.
  • You can use a PIN to keep your child from switching to an Adult profile.

When a Kid profile is active...

  • You'll see the Kids Home screen experience and the Browse menu will include content for kids. Shows and movies that can't be watched (as specified by the profile's parental controls) will appear with a Lock icon (closed padlock) and can't be played.
  • Search results will only include shows and movies that the profile is allowed to watch (according to the profile's parental controls).
  • You can download shows and movies on a phone or tablet, but only the content authorized by the profile's parental controls.
  • Some settings aren't available. Kid profiles don't have access to account management features, for example: account (which includes email and password), subscription information, manage devices, parental controls, and notifications.
Add a Kid profile (parental controls)

Create a Kid profile for your child with parental controls. Here's how:

  1. Choose your profile (upper left on TVs, upper right on other devices).
  2. Choose Switch Profiles.
  3. Choose Add Kid (or + Kid on TVs). If your account doesn't have a PIN, you'll be asked to create one.
  4. Do one of the following:
    • Phone or tablet: Tap the Camera icon and then choose to take a photo, upload a picture, or choose a character. Then, pick a color and enter your child's name and birth date (month and year).
    • TV or computer: Enter your child's name and birth date (month and year) and then pick a color (you can add profile pictures later).
  5. Choose Next.
  6. Choose the content ratings that your child can watch (e.g. for TV shows you can choose a maximum rating of TV-Y7 and for Movies you can choose G). Movies and shows with content ratings above what you select can't be watched by this profile. (The default selections are recommended and based on the birth date you entered).
  7. Choose Save.

To edit a Kid profile or change a Kid profile's parental controls, see Edit a profile.

Parental Controls Not Working?
  • Check to see if restrictions are set on your device (e.g. on iOS check for Content Restrictions). If your device has parental controls that are more restrictive (than what you set in HBO Max), HBO Max will follow the parental controls set on your device.
  • HBO Max doesn't follow parental controls that you may have set with your TV provider.
Switch to a Kid profile

Here's how to switch to a Kid profile:

  1. Choose your profile (upper left on TVs, upper right on other devices).
  2. Choose Switch Profiles.
  3. Choose a Kid profile (a profile with a lock icon (closed padlock)).
Closed or Open Lock
A closed lock icon (closed padlock) means that your child can't switch to another profile (a PIN is needed), while an open lock (open padlock) means your child can switch to another profile. To learn more, continue to the next section.

Require a PIN to switch profiles

When you create your first Kid profile, you'll be asked to create a PIN for your account. By default, your child can't edit their profile or switch to another profile without entering this PIN. You can change your PIN at any time.

For older kids you can turn off the PIN prompt when switching profiles. Here's how:

  1. Choose your profile (upper left on TVs, upper right on other devices).
  2. Choose Switch Profiles.
  3. Choose Manage Profiles.
  4. Choose your child's profile. Kid profiles have a lock icon (closed padlock).
  5. Enter your PIN and choose Enter.
    Note  If you have trouble entering your PIN, press the Select or OK button on your remote to open the on-screen keyboard.
  6. Clear the Require PIN to switch profiles checkbox and then choose Save (you may need to scroll to see this option).

Who is watching screen

Here's what happens when you open HBO Max:

  • TV or computer: If the last profile used was a Kid profile, HBO Max will open with this profile. If the last profile was an Adult profile, you'll see the 'Who is Watching' screen when you open HBO Max.
  • Phone or tablet: HBO Max always opens with the last profile used (you won't see the 'Who is Watching' screen).
Ratings

Ratings provide guidance about the age-appropriateness of episodes and movies on HBO Max. The maturity rating for an episode or movie appears:

  • On the details page for an episode or movie.
  • In the upper-left corner when you first start playing an episode or movie.

There are six movie and TV ratings to choose from:

  • All  Suitable for all ages
  • 7+   Recommended for ages 7 and older
  • 10+   Recommended for ages 10 and older
  • 13+   Recommended for ages 13 and older
  • 16+   Recommended for ages 16 and older
  • 18+   Suitable for ages 18 and older
Traveling

When traveling to countries where HBO Max is available, your parental controls continue to be applied. Shows and movies are rated according to the local ratings system, which may vary from your country's ratings. To learn more, see Stream HBO Max while traveling.

Kids Home screen

When a Kid profile is selected, you'll see the Kids Home screen experience with shows and movies based on your child's age (the profile's birthdate). The Home screen also includes a Continue Watching and My List row.

The Home screen for Kid profiles are personalized based on your child's age. There are 4 different Home screen experiences:

  • Little kids: Ages 2-5
  • Big kids: Ages 6-9
  • Tweens: Ages 10-12
  • Teens: Ages 13-17

The Home screen for Little kids and Big kids (ages 2-9) includes a row of characters from shows and movies on HBO Max. This way, kids can discover titles with their favorite character by selecting their picture (e.g. Elmo or Scooby Doo).

Kids (and adults too!) can add a profile picture or character to their profile. To learn more about this, see Add a profile picture.