Huawei device users have reported the selective disappearance of the Russian messenger Max from the AppGallery app store. As discovered through testing, the application remains on the store's main page and is available for download exclusively from Russian IP addresses – when a VPN with European servers is enabled, the search yields no results.
Technically, this means that Huawei has applied geo-blocking of search results at the account or IP address level. However, the application has not been completely removed: for the Russian audience, it is still displayed in the storefront. Official comments from Huawei were not available at the time of publication.
On June 3, Apple removed the Max messenger application from the App Store, citing sanction restrictions.
Max is developed by the VK holding and is positioned as a national platform for communication and access to public services; it is included in the list of programs mandatory for pre-installation on devices sold in Russia.
