The apps for the Russian social network VK and the messaging app Max have been removed from the Google Play Store, VK has announced.
According to the company, apps that have already been installed continue to work without restriction. They can still be downloaded via RuStore, the Samsung Galaxy Store, Xiaomi GetApps and other alternative Android app stores. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel Mash reported that the apps have also disappeared from the Huawei AppGallery.
In early July, Max was removed from the App Store. Apple explained this decision as being in compliance with sanctions. Following this, the developers warned users that notifications about new messages and calls would no longer be received on iPhones, and recommended opening the app manually from time to time.
Last week, the European Union imposed sanctions against the VK holding company and ‘Communication Platform’ LLC – the legal entity behind the Max messaging app. In its justification for the sanctions, the EU noted that Max was developed under the supervision of the FSB, and that the app is used by the Russian authorities to tighten their control over users.
The beta version of Max was launched in March 2025 as a Russian alternative to Telegram and WhatsApp. Despite support from the authorities, the messaging app has not gained widespread use. Experts cite the lack of end-to-end encryption, secret chats, self-destructing messages and two-factor authentication as some of the reasons for this.
The apps for the Russian social network VK and the Max messaging service have been removed from Google Play