Max (app)
| Max | |
|---|---|
| Original author | VK |
| Developer | Russia: VK |
| Initial release | 26 March 2025 |
| Written in |
|
| Operating system | |
| Available in | Russian |
| Type | mobile app and web application |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | max |
| Repository | |
Max (stylized in all uppercase; Russian: Макс, [ˈmaks] MAKS) is a Russian messenger and e-commerce app released by VK in 2025. Comparable to the Chinese platform WeChat, the Max universal mobile application is developed for the purposes of, in addition to providing a social network, to also allow access to online government services, verify identity through a digital ID, to electronically sign documents, and make payments. It has been promoted by the Russian government as a "national messenger".
To register in the messenger, a valid mobile phone number from Russia, Belarus, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Moldova, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palau, Qatar, St. Kitts & Nevis, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, the UAE, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, or Vietnam is required.
The messenger is managed by Communication Platform LLC, which is a subsidiary of VK. As of September 2025, the Max app is required to be pre-installed on all smartphones sold in Russia, while the Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor impose restrictions on the use of other messenger applications.