HBO NOW for PC Windows 7/8.1/10/11 (32-bit or 64-bit) & Mac

Now that you’ve signed up for an HBO Now account, you want to start watching HBO immediately! Though you have to register with a compatible device, once you have registered, you can sign in to your HBO Now account and watch shows on your PC or Mac. Please read below for a detailed description of how to use HBO Now on your computer, or visit our tutorial on using HBO Now on a compatible device.

Signing in to your HBO Now account

1. Open your web browser and visit www.hbonow.com to access the online streaming service.

2. Enter your email address and password, and click SIGN IN TO HBO NOW.

If you have a subscription through your T.V. service provider, click Sign In Here, and click on your provider. You can then sign in with your provider username and password.

You are now signed in to HBO Now and can begin using it to stream your favorite HBO shows!

How to stream content on HBO Now

Now that you are signed in to HBO Now, you can begin to choose from HBO’s extensive lists of series, movies, documentaries, and much more. There are a few ways you can go about doing this:

1. From the main page

If you’re not sure where to start, browse around the main page of HBO Now. At the top, you will see a banner that skips through the shows or movies HBO has chosen to feature for its viewers. Use the white arrows on either side to browse through these features and click on one if it looks interesting.

Scroll down to see various categories that you can choose from, such as “Series,” “Comedy,” or “Kids.” Click the white arrow to the right of each category to continue scrolling through it if you want to see more shows from that category.

If you move your cursor over the icon for the program, you can watch it immediately by clicking on the white play symbol. If you don’t want to watch it, click on ADD TO WATCHLIST instead. For an explanation of the Watchlist, see step 4 below.

This is an excellent way to look for something to watch if you’re not entirely sure what you’re looking for or want to see how much HBO offers you. You can get back to this page anytime by clicking the HBO Now logo in the top left corner of your screen.

2. By type of content or genre

If you know what kind of content you may be looking for or what you’re in the mood for, try searching by genre from the top menu bar of HBO Now. Please select an option from the top menu, or click More to see them.

Scroll down to see an alphabetized list of everything HBO has in that genre. Click on the white letters on the right side to jump to a particular place in the alphabet.

Click on any program to view your options for it or if you want to start watching it. Some shows only allow you to see recent content, so keep up with your favorite shows.

3. Search for content

If you know exactly what you’re looking for, skip the browsing and use HBO Now’s search function. Click the magnifying glass in the top menu bar to open a search window. Type the name of what you are looking for and press the “Enter” key on your keyboard to see if HBO Now has it.

As you type, suggestions will be made for you. Click on any program to get more information about what is available. Remember that this search is only by program name, so you must know what you are looking for. Click the white X in the top right corner to close the search bar.

4. From your Watchlist

HBO Now has a function called the “Watchlist,” which allows you to add content you can watch later without needing to try and find it again. While browsing, move your cursor over a program and click ADD TO WATCHLIST to add something to your list. To access your list, click Watchlist in the top right corner of your screen at any time.

You can select any program you’ve added to the list or click Continue Watching to continue a program you have already begun watching. These programs will automatically add themselves to your Watchlist, so it is unnecessary to add them to your list before you close the video player.

You can sort your shows with the drop-down menu at the top of your Watchlist by Newest or Alphabetical. Remove an item from your Watchlist by moving your cursor over it, selecting REMOVE FROM WATCHLIST, or selecting Remove All at the top of your Watchlist screen. Close the Watchlist anytime by clicking the white X at the top right of the screen.

How to use the HBO Now video player

Once you have selected a program to watch, click the white play symbol in the center of it to begin playback. You will see a small window with the video, and the video will begin playing. It is typical for an advertisement for other content to be played at the beginning of the video.

Once the movie or show begins playing, you can use the various controls in the video player to customize your viewing experience. Just move your cursor over the viewing pane to make the controls appear.

• The speaker icon in the top right corner is the volume control. Click along the line beside it to raise or lower the volume.
• Click the pause icon in the bottom left corner to stop playback temporarily. This can be useful if your video is constantly buffering (loading slowly). This will turn into the play button, which you can click to resume play. You can also press the space bar on your keyboard to pause and play.
• To skip your playback ten seconds ahead, click the +10 symbol near the bottom right. You can also press the -10 symbol near the bottom left to skip your program back ten seconds (in case you missed something). Use the seek bar between these two icons to skip to a specific point in the program. You will typically use this function if you continue playback for something you have already partially watched.
• Beside the +10 button on the bottom right is a square with three dots inside of it. This is the caption button. Click it to turn on captions; you can adjust your caption settings, including the font size, color, and more.
• The final control in the video player is the full-screen button on the bottom right, which looks like 4 arrows pointing inward. Click on this to make your video take up your device’s entire screen, and click it again to return the video player to standard size. You can also press the “Escape” key on your keyboard to exit full-screen mode.

How to change your HBO Now settings, profile, or account

To change your HBO Now settings, click on your name in the top right corner of any window.

You can access your HBO Now settings and preferences from this screen and update your account information. It is also how you sign out of HBO Now. Click on any of the selections on the right side to cycle through your pages, choosing from Profile, Notifications, Billing Information, Parental Controls, or Sign Out. Click the white X at any time to close this menu. Below is a breakdown of each of these selections.

Profile

Click the blue Edit Profile button to change any aspects of your profile, including your name, email address, password, and ZIP Code, or to add a phone number. You will need to sign in again to make any of these changes. Make the changes, and click Save Changes to finish.

Notifications

Under Notifications, you can click the check box that says “Yes, I want to receive offers and updates” to mark or unmark it. By default, this is marked, so if you would like to prevent HBO Now from sending you emails, make sure to uncheck the box.

Billing Information

Under Billing Information, HBO Now will give you a quick summary of your current account, letting you know how long you have paid your subscription and your current rate. Click on Manage Your Subscription to alter the details through the provider you signed up with (most likely you’re device’s app store).

Parental Controls

Here you can modify or enable parental controls on your HBO Now Account. Select a rating for movies and T.V. shows from the two drop-down menus, and enter a 4-digit PIN to lock the account. Click Enable Parental Controls when you are finished.

Note that once you enable the parental controls, you cannot disable them. You can change the Movie ratings to R and the T.V. ratings to M.A., which removes the restrictions on the account.

Sign Out

To Sign Out of your HBO Now Account, select Sign Out from the far right menu. That’s all you need to do!

 

Now that you know how to use HBO Now on your computer, why not try it on your compatible device? Check out our following tutorial to see how HBO Now functions on other devices, including pictures of how to use it on your mobile device.