Apple pulls Russia’s state-backed Max messenger from App Store

Apple ↗0.70% removed Max, Russia’s government-promoted messaging and payments super-app developed by VK, without public explanation.freemalaysiatoday
Max combines messaging, digital ID, banking, and government services; a 2025 law required it pre-installed on all phones sold in Russia.freemalaysiatoday
Cloudflare ↘1.24% has again classified Max’s domains as spyware, and VK says it is pushing Apple for a swift resolution.mezha

Apple Removes Russia’s State-Backed Max Messenger From App Store

Apple has pulled Russia’s state-backed Max messenger from its App Store, the app’s developer VK confirmed on Thursday, in the latest clash between Western tech companies and Moscow’s push for digital sovereignty.

“Max is temporarily unavailable for download in the App Store,” the messenger said in a statement on its platform Thursday, adding that the app disappeared on Wednesday night. Apple has offered no explanation for the removal.meduza

VK’s press service said it has contacted Apple and is “working to resolve the issue promptly.”meduza

A Government-Mandated Super-App

Launched in 2025 by Russian social media giant VK, Max has been promoted by President Vladimir Putin as a “secure” platform meeting Russia’s demand for “technological sovereignty.” The app combines messaging, social media, access to government services, a digital ID system, banking, and payments — drawing comparisons to China’s WeChat.freemalaysiatoday

Moscow has aggressively pushed adoption of Max in recent months, throttling WhatsApp and Telegram while forcing civil servants, state companies, schools, and government agencies to migrate their communications onto the platform. A federal law required Max to be pre-installed on every smartphone sold in Russia starting in September 2025.facebook

The app does not use end-to-end encryption, and its terms of use state that user data is stored exclusively on servers in Russia. Critics say it could be used to track people.freemalaysiatoday

Spyware Concerns and Broader Context

Cloudflare previously categorized Max’s domains as spyware, and while that designation was briefly lifted, it has since been reinstated, according to Radio Liberty reporting cited by Ukrainian outlet Mezha.mezha

Apple and Google have removed dozens of Russian apps from their stores in recent years, including those developed by companies sanctioned in the West. In 2022, Apple removed VK’s main suite of apps from the App Store globally after VK’s leadership came under EU sanctions.theverge

The removals have sparked workarounds: Russian companies, particularly banks, have taken to launching apps disguised as unrelated software — such as accounting tools — then rushing to alert customers before those are also banned.freemalaysiatoday