Check the documented second layer
HBO Max’s UK subtitle help says it follows subtitle and caption settings on the device and directs users there when captions remain after being turned off in HBO Max. A player-level change therefore is not the only relevant observation. Record the selected track and the device preference before concluding the app ignored every control.
Identify which setting you need
Turning a supplied track on or off and changing its font are different tasks. The same help provides separate routes for mobile device styling, web Subtitle Style and supported TV-device settings. Use the branch for the actual client instead of assuming a browser screenshot describes an Android TV, Apple TV or other living-room device.
Use the same passage for comparison
Choose a short non-sensitive scene in an item you are entitled to watch. Change only the relevant caption preference, then check that same passage and the actual text source. A system-generated transcription overlay can be another layer; identify it rather than describing every visible line as an HBO Max subtitle.
Preserve access needs and report precisely
Keep another viewer’s intended caption arrangement intact and restore any temporary comparison state. If the text still differs from the documented behaviour, report the exact client, app version, track selection and device preference. A missing translation, an inaccessible style control and a subtitle that remains visible are different issues, each needing its own evidence.
Questions, answered
Should device caption preferences be checked when subtitles persist?
Yes. HBO Max’s UK help explicitly directs viewers to them.
Is changing the font the same as switching the track off?
No. These are separate controls.