HBO Max Finishes Rollout of Customer Experience Update Including Shareplay and Shuffle

HBO Max is going through some tumultuous times, it seems. Several projects got the ax after the merger with Discovery and many seem to be wondering if the platform will be around much longer. Well, for those that haven’t abandoned ship, your experience is officially better.

The user experience on desktop, mobile apps, and Amazon Fire tablets has been given a refresh. This brought many important features to all of the areas for a more cohesive experience such as the Shuffle button now being available on mobile devices so you can have the service pick a random episode for you to start on for your chosen show. Here’s the breakdown per HBO Max:

• Shuffle button functionality expansion to mobile devices. Previously only available on the desktop and CTV experiences, this feature gives users the ability to randomize the first episode that plays for select series on the platform.

• SharePlay support for iPhone and iPad users (U.S. only)

  • Subscribers in the U.S. with an ad-free plan and an iPhone or iPad can now use SharePlay to watch their favorite HBO Max programs in sync with friends and family while on a FaceTime call.

• A dedicated home for downloaded content with improved performance and stability

• Tablet support for both landscape and portrait orientations

• An enhanced screen reader experience with improved navigation elements and functionality

• The ability to split screens with other apps on any behavior-supported mobile device

• Updated, intuitive navigation

• A refined design and visual styling to let content shine

• Chromecast stability improvements

That’s no small update. It does beg the question why some of these things are just now happening, but it’s good that it’s happening now. Hopefully it’s not too late. Kamyar Keshmiri of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming said:

We are delighted to introduce the revamped HBO Max mobile and desktop apps. The changes give our users more of the features they care most about, along with improved navigation and a more immersive canvas for storytelling, helping them click play on their favorite content faster and with less friction.

Have you been enjoying the updated apps? What’s your most requested feature?