WhatsApp remains Russia’s most widely used messaging app despite government restrictions and the Kremlin’s push to promote the homegrown rival Max, the business newspaper Kommersant reported on Monday.
The Meta-owned service reached 97 million unique monthly users in August, up slightly from the same month last year, according to data cited by Kommersant.
VK, the state-linked developer of Russia’s Max app, reported 93.5 million monthly users across its platforms last month, while Telegram ranked third with 91 million.
Max, launched in March as an alternative to WhatsApp and Telegram, is growing quickly but still trails its competitors.
The app counted 32.2 million monthly users in August, but more than 34 million downloads in the first half of September, Kommersant said.
Daily usage remains far lower. WhatsApp recorded 82 million daily users and Telegram nearly 68 million, compared with Max’s 7 million in August, which rose to 16.4 million in early September.
Analysts told Kommersant that the surge in downloads reflected aggressive state promotion, but that Russians have not yet made Max their primary messenger. WhatsApp remains deeply embedded in family and workplace chats, while VK and Telegram have attracted users by integrating news, payments and entertainment, they said.
The Russian government began blocking voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram in August, describing the restrictions as an anti-fraud measure. That move came as authorities ratcheted up their promotion of Max, requiring it to come pre-installed on all personal devices sold in the country, and promoting it in schools and government agencies for work communications.
Analysts expect Max’s audience to grow by as much as 25% by the end of 2025, compared with 1-9% growth for the established leaders.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
