Apple has begun negotiations with Russian authorities and businesses regarding the pre-installation of RuStore on devices sold in Russia. This was reported to Izvestia by three sources in the IT market and in government structures. Experts assess the chances of successful negotiations as high: a law comes into force on September 1, 2025, which requires the mandatory installation of a domestic application store on all smartphones and tablets sold in the country.
According to the publication's sources, the possibility of admitting RuStore to the App Store is being discussed. One source claims that Apple, in informal negotiations, promised the Ministry of Digital Development not to obstruct the placement of the Russian store. Another source said that the issue was raised during contacts between the head of the RFPI, Kirill Dmitriev, and American business.
Russian banks' and companies' applications removed from the App Store may return to the iPhone as early as this fall. Currently, Android device owners are solving the problem with alternative platforms, primarily RuStore. However, Apple's policy traditionally does not allow the use of third-party application stores.
The law, which comes into force on September 1, requires the pre-installation of not only RuStore, but also the state messenger Max. If the application cannot be installed on the device, the gadget will be considered defective, which creates legal risks for sellers. This has already caused concern among retailers: "white" distribution and retail chains are awaiting clarification from regulators.
Experts suggest that Apple may implement a mechanism whereby RuStore and related applications will only work in the Russian Federation, determining the country affiliation of the smartphone by geolocation and activation data.
According to Leonid Konik, partner at ComNews Research, the situation is comparable to Europe, where since March 2024, Apple has been obliged to allow third-party application stores and provide developers with the opportunity to bypass its own payment system. In the European Union, Apple resisted the changes, but eventually complied with the requirements.
Denis Kuskov, head of TelecomDaily, notes that the integration of RuStore into the App Store would allow Apple to comply with Russian law and maintain user loyalty, but this will require working out mechanisms for interaction with developers, payment issues, and data protection.
The market is awaiting Apple's decision, as it will determine whether domestic applications will return to the iPhone and how the new legal norm will work in Russia. Currently, Apple devices are supplied to Russia via parallel imports.
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