January 12, 2026

A Thumbs Down, If You Could


A Thumbs Down, If You Could
Russians are finding other ways to brag about their victories. The Russian Life files.

The independent publication Verstka reports that the new "all-Russian messenger" MAX has sputtered, with users avoiding it as much as possible. Despite large-scale advertising, coercive measures to install the application, and the blocking of popular international messengers, Russians are extremely reluctant to use MAX.

First reports about the new app appeared in March 2025. In June, it was officially declared a “national messenger” for Russia. Unlike WhatsApp and Telegram, MAX is supposed to provide secure communication, free from the influence of “unfriendly” Western countries and other scammers. In June 2025, the state public opinion service announced the results of a survey, according to which more than half of Russians expressed their willingness to use MAX.

In December, the creators of MAX reported 75 million users. However, the real picture isn't so clear. “We know how to report numbers ourselves," comments a source of Verstka in the Kremlin, "and the [MAX] project managers are excellent at it. But in reality, it has not been possible to make the messenger the main means of communication even among civil servants.”

Since September 1, 2025, MAX has been mandatory for pre-installation on new devices. Schools, medical organizations, and housing and utilities services have been forced to switch to MAX. People install it for reporting purposes, but they continue to communicate in blocked messengers using VPNs. They believe that MAX will be watching them: some buy a second fake phone for MAX, some install special modifications that restrict the messenger's access to the device's data. 

Another reason to dislike the app is its quality. MAX's technical services are still under development: there are few interesting channels that appeal to users or open statistics.

Besides that, many users feel the sets of stickers are too patriotic. They include characters from Soviet cartoons, happy traditional couples, and military things. Perhaps the greatest sin of MAX is the inclusion of only positive emoji: no thumbs down, crying faces, or poop.

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