Apple has announced that it has removed the Russian app MAX from the App Store due to sanctions.
The company's press service stated in a statement to the BBC in Russian that it "complies with the laws of the countries in which it operates, and that the removal of the MAX application from the App Store was in compliance with sanctions rules," while the company did not specify the nature of these sanctions.
On June 3, users noticed that the MAX app had been removed from the App Store, and the app had stopped sending notifications to iOS users. The team in charge of the app advised users to open it repeatedly on their Apple smartphones. After the app is removed from the store, the iOS system cancels the verification code used to send notifications, and therefore the server cannot send them to the device. As a result, new messages and calls only arrive after manually opening the app.
MAX can currently be downloaded from other app stores such as: RuStore, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, Samsung Store, Xiaomi Store, Vivo Store, as well as the official MAX website.
It is worth noting that the Russian VK network launched the first experimental version of this application in March of last year, and the application received great interest from users inside and outside Russia. It can be used to send written and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and create and subscribe to channels. Its users in Russia also have the “digital identity” feature, which will spare them from showing paper documents to prove their identity in hotels and some stores inside Russia. Through it, they can also access the services of the Russian government services application “Gosuslugi”.
