Apple explained the removal of the "Max" messenger from the App Store by the need to comply with sanctions requirements. The company stated this in a comment to the BBC Russian Service.
Apple noted that it complies with the laws of the jurisdictions where it operates, and the application was removed from the store in accordance with sanction compliance rules. However, the company did not specify which sanctions it was referring to.
Users noticed the disappearance of "Max" from the App Store on the evening of June 3. The application stopped appearing in search, and when following a direct link to the messenger's page, the store began to show an error.
"Max" was declared a national messenger in the summer of 2025. Against this background, political and public attention around the application intensified, and representatives of the Russian opposition had previously called on Apple to remove the service from the App Store.
The situation unfolds against the backdrop of restrictions around other messengers in Russia. Earlier, voice calls in WhatsApp and Telegram began to be blocked in the country, and then restrictions for Telegram intensified.