The government has mandated the transition of work-related communications for state and municipal employees, as well as those in subordinate institutions and organizations, to the “Max” messenger platform. This directive, recently published on the legal acts portal, outlines a clear vision: by 2030, all work communications within these sectors must be conducted exclusively through this multifunctional information exchange service.
Transition to “Max” Messenger
In the summer of 2025, the government unveiled plans for the development of this multifunctional information exchange service, which is anchored by the “Max” platform. The responsibility for the platform’s operation and ongoing development lies with the company “Kommunikatsionnaya platforma.” The beta version of the “Max” messenger made its debut in March 2025, and by September of that year, it was designated as a mandatory pre-installed application on all new smartphones sold in Russia.
Currently, “Max” boasts a range of features including audio and video calls, chat functionalities, voice messaging, large file sharing, and even money transfer capabilities. The platform has seen significant growth, with its press service announcing in March 2026 that it had reached a remarkable milestone of 100 million registered users. Notably, in April, the messenger rebranded itself simply as “Max.”
However, the journey has not been without its challenges. In July, the European Union imposed sanctions on VK, the parent company of VKontakte and “Kommunikatsionnaya platforma.” Despite these restrictions, VK assured users that the functionality of its services remained unaffected. In June, “Max” was removed from the Apple App Store, and just yesterday, both the messenger and VK applications were taken down from Google Play. In response, Maksut Shadaev, the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, indicated that negotiations with Apple were underway to facilitate the return of “Max” to the App Store.
VK has reiterated that its services continue to operate smoothly and remain accessible for download through alternative platforms such as RuStore, Huawei AppGallery, Samsung Galaxy Store, and Xiaomi GetApps for Android users.
