All about Kids profiles

There are two types of profiles: Adult and Kids. Your account can have up to 5 profiles. You can create a Kids profile that limits what content ratings (e.g., G, PG) your child can watch.

Why create a Kids profile?

  • Parental controls. You can choose what content ratings your child can watch.
  • Kids Home screen. There are different Home screen experiences for Kids profiles. Your child can also have their own My List and Continue Watching list.
  • To keep your child from leaving their profile, turn on Kid-Proof Exit (or add a Profile PIN to your Adult profiles).
  • Kids profiles can't access account management features, like your password and subscription information.

Choose a topic:

Add a Kids profile

Here's how to add a Kids profile:

  1. Choose your profile and then + New Profile (you may need to scroll right if you have more than 3 profiles).
  2. Select an avatar or choose Skip.
  3. Enter your child's name (between 1 and 14 characters).
  4. Turn on Kids Mode.
  5. By default, Ratings are set to Pre-teens (TV-PG and PG). You can update this when you edit a Kids profile. For more info, go to Content ratings.
  6. Kid-Proof Exit (optional): Turn on this option to help keep your child from leaving their profile. When this option is turned on, a 4-digit Parent Code is required to exit the Kids profile. Your account has just one Parent Code. To manage your Parent Code, go to Add or reset your Parent code.
  7. Choose Save.
Add a Profile PIN
You can also add a Profile PIN to any Adult profile so that your children can't watch Max using that Adult profile.
Edit or delete a Kids profile

When you edit a Kids profile, you can change the profile's name, avatar, content ratings, turn Kid-Proof Exit on or off, or turn off Kids Mode. You can also delete the profile.

Choose the device you're using:

Phone or tablet
  1. Choose your profile and then Edit Profiles.
  2. Choose a Kids profile.
  3. Choose Manage Settings. The app will open a browser window.
  4. Enter your email and password and choose Sign In. Can't sign in?
  5. Here you can change the profile's name, avatar, ratings, turn Kid-Proof Exit on or off, turn off Kids Mode, or delete the profile.
  6. Choose Done.
  7. Close the browser window, go back to Max and choose Done.
Computer
  1. Choose your profile and then Edit Profiles.
  2. Choose a Kids profile.
  3. Here you can change the profile's name, avatar, ratings, turn Kid-Proof Exit on or off, turn off Kids Mode, or delete the profile.
  4. Choose Done.
TV device
  1. Choose your profile and then Edit Profiles.
  2. Choose the Edit icon pencil below a Kids profile.
  3. Here you can change the profile's name, avatar, ratings, turn Kid-Proof Exit on or off, turn off Kids Mode, or delete the profile.
  4. Choose Done.
Turning off Kids Mode
If you turn off Kids Mode, the Kids profile will change to an Adult profile and it won't have Kids profile features like rating restrictions. An Adult profile can't be changed to a Kids profile.

Kid-Proof Exit: Turn on Kid-Proof Exit to keep your child from leaving their Kids profile. When this option is turned on, a 4-digit Parent Code is required to exit the profile. Your account has just one Parent Code. To manage your Parent Code, go to Add or reset your Parent code.

Content ratings

When you edit a Kids profile (see above), you can choose one of the following rating groups to limit what your child can watch and find when they search:

  • Little Kids (TV-Y): Suitable for all kids
  • Big Kids (TV-Y and TV-Y7-FV): Suitable for older kids
  • Big Kids Plus (TV-G and G): Suitable for all ages
  • Pre-teens (TV-PG and PG): Suitable for most older kids
  • Teens (TV-14 and PG-13): Suitable for most teens

Shows and movies on Max are rated according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) or the TV Parental Guidelines. The maturity rating for an episode or movie appears:

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

For more info about movie ratings, go to motionpictures.org/film-ratings and for TV ratings go to tvguidelines.org/ratings.

Content ratings not working?

If the ratings you set for a Kids profile aren't working as expected, check the following:

  • Check to see if restrictions are set on your device (e.g., on iOS check for Content Restrictions). If the device your child is using has parental controls that are more restrictive than the Ratings you set in Max, Max will follow the parental controls set on the device.
  • Max doesn't follow parental controls that you may have set with your TV provider.
Kids Home screen

When a Kids profile is selected, the Home screen and search results only include shows and movies with ratings that the Kids profile is allowed to watch. The default ratings for a new Kids profile are TV-PG and PG. You can, however, change the ratings for any Kids profile.

There are different Home screen experiences for Kids profiles based on the content ratings. On the Kids Home screen, Little Kids through Pre-teens can discover titles by selecting their favorite character's picture (e.g., Elmo or Scooby Doo).

The Kids Home screen also includes Continue Watching and My List.

Add or reset your Parent Code

When Kid-Proof Exit is turned on, you'll need a 4-digit Parent Code to exit the Kids profile. To add or reset your Parent Code, choose the device you're using:

Phone or tablet
  1. In Max, choose your profile.
  2. Choose App Settings > Manage Parent Code. The app will open a browser window.
  3. Enter your email and password and choose Sign In. Can't sign in?
  4. Enter a new 4-digit Parent Code and choose Save.
  5. Close the browser window and go back to Max.

Can't change the Parent Code? Try using your computer instead (go to max.com on your computer, choose your profile, then choose Settings > Manage Parent Code).

Computer
  1. At max.com, choose your profile. Need help signing in?
  2. Choose Settings > Manage Parent Code.
  3. Enter a new 4-digit Parent Code and choose Save.

Your Parent Code applies to all Kids profiles with Kid-Proof Exit turned on.

Switch profiles

Here's how to switch to another profile:

  1. In Max, choose your profile.
  2. Then, depending on the current profile:
    • Adult profile: Choose a different profile.
    • Kids profile: Choose Exit Kids Profile and then enter the 4-digit Parent Code (if prompted). Then, choose a profile on the Who's Watching screen.

'Who's Watching' screen

Here's what happens when you open Max:

  • TV device: If the last profile used was a Kids profile, Max will open with this profile. If the last profile used was an Adult profile, you'll see the 'Who's Watching' screen.
  • Computer, phone, or tablet: Max always opens with the last profile used (you won't see the 'Who's Watching' screen).

You can add a Profile PIN to any Adult profile so that your children can't watch Max using that Adult profile.

Default Kids profile
New Max accounts have a default Kids profile that can watch TV-PG and PG titles. You can edit or delete this profile. If your account was originally an HBO Max account, you can add a Kids profile.
RELATED ARTICLES
RELATED ARTICLES