Residents of Russia have begun to use mobile communications more often. According to a study by MTS Link, the number of regular phone calls has increased sixfold.
The study was conducted in the first quarter of 2026. It involved 2020 people from cities with a population of more than 100 thousand inhabitants who make at least one call per week.
Currently, regular mobile phone calls remain the main way of communication: 96% of respondents use them, and 72% do so daily. When traveling, this figure is even higher — 98% of respondents choose classic communication.
At the same time, Internet calls are also made. More than half of Russians continue to use audio and video calls online — 63% and 56%, respectively. Almost every fifth person participates in group audio calls (17%) and video conferences (19%).
Schoolchildren and travelers are more likely than others to send voice messages. Video messages are also popular among students: 83% of respondents use them.
Among the services for online calls, Max is the leader — it is used by 34% of respondents at least once a week — and Telegram with an indicator of 31%. The rest are noticeably behind: VKontakte is used by 15%, WhatsApp (owned by Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) — 13%.
When choosing a service for calls, Russians primarily pay attention to convenience (58%), prevalence among acquaintances (53%), saving money or tariff (43%), as well as the ability to see the interlocutor and the quality of communication (42% each).