Overview
- Russian authorities are steering users to Max by promoting the app and restricting WhatsApp and Telegram, the country’s dominant messengers.
- Max, built by VK in 2025, bundles chat, social feeds, government services, digital ID, banking and payments in one platform.
- Unlike WhatsApp and Telegram, Max lacks end-to-end encryption and says it stores all user data on servers located in Russia.
- VK says downloads have topped 100 million, and users report schools, large employers and government portals pushing or requiring the app.
- The service is pre-installed on new devices, stays online during state-imposed internet blackouts under a government “white list,” and is offered to phone numbers in countries Russia deems friendly, but not in the EU or Ukraine.