HBO Max parental controls: Kids Mode, Kid-Proof Exit, and profile PINs

A child profile should not become unrestricted viewing with one profile switch. HBO Max provides separate tools for the child's catalog and access to adult profiles.

Recommended setup

1. Review the child profile. Open Manage Profiles, choose the child's profile, and review Kids Mode and its allowed movie and television ratings. Do not assume the default fits your youngest viewer.
2. Enable Kid-Proof Exit. Protect leaving the Kids profile with the Parent Code where offered. Save the profile changes. ¹
3. Lock adult profiles. Set a four-digit profile PIN on each adult profile that remains available. Treat these PINs as part of the same setup, not an optional extra. ²
4. Use accurate age information. Work with the profile options appropriate to the viewer. Do not change an adult's date of birth to impersonate a teen just to obtain child-account controls.

Good to know

HBO Max's account password can be used to reset an adult profile PIN. That matters when an adult wants the account to resist an impulsive change. A PIN kept by another person is helpful friction, but it does not remove account-owner recovery. ²

HBO Max also documents differences in which profile opens when returning on a television versus a phone or computer. Check the real device rather than assuming it always starts in the intended child profile. ¹

Check your setup

Close the app and reopen it. Confirm which profile appears. From the Kids profile, try changing to an adult profile and inspect the required authorization. Check a harmless title above the chosen rating and confirm that it is unavailable.

Keep a brief household note of the chosen ratings and which person manages the codes. Recheck after changing profiles, adding a device, or making account changes.

Sources

1. HBO Max: Kids profiles and ratings
2. HBO Max: adult-profile PINs

Steps were checked against these official help pages on September 18, 2026. Menus change; when a step does not match your screen, follow the linked page.