The HBO Max mobile app has introduced short-form videos, mirroring platforms like TikTok and YouTube. These "HBO Max Shorts" feature clips from the service's library, trailers, and bonus content, algorithmically curated based on viewing history. The feature aims to facilitate content discovery, allowing users to instantly jump into episodes or save series for later viewing via a dedicated icon.

This move follows a similar pivot by Netflix, highlighting the growing trend of short-form content integration among streaming services. HBO Max is also rolling out a "conversational search experience," a chatbot that uses natural language processing to understand user queries for content recommendations, such as "best movie for a girls night in" or "dysfunctional family drama."

While the company avoided the term "AI," it described the search as utilizing "natural language understanding and semantic search." The Shorts feature is currently available for select iOS users in the US, with wider rollout planned. The conversational search is live for US Android users, with eventual expansion to other devices and markets anticipated.