Apple has removed Max, a messaging app backed by the Russian government, from the App Store. This move comes as Moscow is actively encouraging its citizens to use the app.
Quoted from The Straits Times, Thursday, June 4, Russian developer Max stated that the app is no longer available for download on the App Store as of the evening of June 3.
"Max is temporarily unavailable to download on the App Store," the app's manager wrote in a statement on June 4.
Apple has not commented. The reason for the removal of the application is also unclear.
Max is not an ordinary messaging app. This app is called a super-app, which is an app that combines many services in one place. Inside there is a message, social media, government services, digital identity cards, banking, and payments.
However, Max does not use end-to-end encryption. This means that messages are not completely locked only for the sender and recipient. Criticism also emerged because this application is considered potentially used to track users.
In recent months, Russia has encouraged its citizens to install Max. The government has also slowed access to WhatsApp and Telegram, the country's two largest messaging apps.
State employees, state-owned companies, schools, and government agencies are also asked to move their communications to Max.
Apple and Google have previously removed dozens of Russian apps from their app stores. Many of them are related to companies affected by Western sanctions.
Applications that have been installed on users' phones in Russia can still be used. However, new users cannot download it. The application also cannot be updated.
The removal of Russian apps from global app stores triggered a pattern of cat-and-mouse. A number of Russian companies, especially banks, launched apps with a disguised name or function, such as accounting software. They then asked customers to download it immediately before the app was blocked again.
Max was launched in 2025 by VK, a Russian social media giant. The app is often compared to China's WeChat because it combines many services on one platform.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Max a more "secure" platform and in line with Russia's need for "technological sovereignty".
Since September, Max has been a built-in app on phones and tablets sold in Russia. However, the app is not available in the European Union.
According to The Straits Times, the terms of use of Max state that user data is stored only on Russian servers. This provision is one of the reasons why critics highlight the risk of tracking users.
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