Apple removes Russia’s state-backed messenger from App Store

Moscow has for months been pushing Russians to install Max — a super-app that lacks encryption and that critics say could be used to track people.

It has throttled WhatsApp and Telegram, the country’s two largest messengers, and forced civil servants, state companies, schools and government agencies to move their communications onto Max.

“Max is temporarily unavailable for download in the App Store,” the messenger said in a statement on its platform Thursday.

It disappeared on Wednesday night, it said.

There has been no comment from Apple and the reasons for the removal are unclear.

Apple and Google have both removed dozens of Russian apps from their online stores — including those developed by companies sanctioned in the West.

Apps already installed on phones in Russia continue to work, but new users cannot download them and they cannot be updated.

The mass removals have launched a cat-and-mouse game where Russian companies, particularly banks, launch apps disguised as something else — like accounting software — then rush to tell their clients to download the new version before it is banned.

Launched in 2025 by Russian social media giant VK, Max has been compared to China’s WeChat, combining social media and messaging functions with access to government services, a digital ID card system, banking and payments.

President Vladimir Putin has touted it as a more “secure” platform that meets Russia’s demand for “technological sovereignty”.

It has come pre-installed on phones and tablets sold in Russia since September, but is not available in the European Union.

Max does not use end-to-end encryption and its terms of use state that user data is stored exclusively on servers in Russia.

AFP