In March 2026, incoming mobile traffic in the Telegram messenger decreased by 18% compared to the previous month, which was a direct consequence of the introduction of restrictions on the platform's operation in Russia.
According to Digital Budget analytics company, users began to actively turn to alternative solutions: traffic of the domestic messenger Max grew by more than 60% over the same period, and the audience of the Telega messenger increased several times. At the same time, the desktop version of Telegram also lost 22% of traffic, although outgoing transitions to external resources, on the contrary, increased by 66%, which allows advertisers to continue campaigns as long as the technical possibility remains.
Despite the decline in indicators, the platform maintains its leadership in terms of reach: Telegram's monthly audience in Russia is 94.27 million people, and the average daily audience is 72.2 million.
However, user behavior is changing: according to Alexey Kozlov, leading analyst at the Spikatel center, the audience is not leaving completely, but adapting, using several messengers for different tasks — from personal communication to work. Interest in Asian counterparts grew by almost 60% in March, but the main beneficiary of the restrictions was the Russian project Telega, which was forced to introduce waiting lists due to the influx of new participants.
Developers of alternative platforms are seeing a significant increase in interest in their products. The press service of the Max messenger reported that by early April, the number of registered users reached 110 million, and the daily active audience exceeded 80 million.
Market participants note that users are looking for guaranteed working services, and it is connection stability that becomes a key factor when choosing a messenger in the current conditions.
