+7 (777) 001 44 99
Қазақша
Русский
English
Tengrinews.kz – WhatsApp (owned by Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) remains the most popular messenger in Russia despite the restriction on calls, according to Kommersant.
What happened
As a reminder, users in Russia experienced disruptions with voice calls in WhatsApp and Telegram. According to statistics from the Downdetector service, over 7,500 users reported issues with Telegram, and more than 3,300 users reported problems with WhatsApp.
Roskomnadzor later confirmed that restrictions on messenger calls had been introduced in Russia, citing the increasing use of such services for fraud, extortion, and involvement in subversive and terrorist activities. The agency noted that the messenger providers had been repeatedly asked to take measures to counter criminal use, but these demands were ignored.
WhatsApp responded by emphasizing that the service uses end-to-end encryption by default, ensuring private communication for users. According to the company, this was the very reason Russian authorities attempted to restrict the app’s operation, which is used by over 100 million people in the country. The statement also affirmed that WhatsApp would continue doing everything possible to maintain secure communication worldwide, including in Russia.
WhatsApp leads in audience reach
According to a study based on data from Mediascope, WhatsApp continues to hold the top position among messengers in Russia in terms of audience reach.
In August this year, WhatsApp’s monthly audience surpassed 97 million unique users, an increase from last year’s figure of 96.2 million. This growth occurred despite the imposed restrictions that made voice calls on the service unavailable.
VK ranked second in audience reach with 93.5 million users (up from 90.6 million the previous year), followed by Telegram, which saw its audience grow from 86.8 million to 91 million users. Rounding out the top five were Odnoklassniki (47.8 million, down 2.1 million year-over-year) and the new Max messenger from VK, with a reach of 32.2 million users.
In terms of average daily audience in August, WhatsApp also maintained its lead with 82.1 million users. Telegram showed a sharp increase to 68 million (up 5.5 million in a year), while VK added 1.2 million, reaching 55.8 million users. Odnoklassniki dropped to 18.4 million, and Max had a daily audience of 7 million.
However, analysts noted that Max's popularity is growing rapidly: in the first half of September, its average daily audience reached 13.7 million, and on September 11, it peaked at 16.4 million users.
Why WhatsApp remains popular
Experts believe that WhatsApp's leadership is due to user habits and the widespread use of the service.
“Messaging, family, and work chats still function, and people continue to use the app they’re accustomed to,” said Kirill Tanaev, Director of the Institute for Contemporary Media.
Forecasts suggest that by the end of this year:
- WhatsApp’s audience may grow by 1–3%,
- VK’s by 3–5%,
- Telegram’s by 6–9%,
- and Max’s by 15–25%.
Meanwhile, Odnoklassniki is expected to continue losing users, some of whom are likely to migrate to Max.
Unofficial information and possible reasons
Some media, citing unconfirmed reports, say that major Russian telecom operators — MTS, Beeline, Megafon, and T2 — may have requested restrictions on calls in foreign messengers. The reason allegedly is the need for extra revenue to support infrastructure and prevent internet speed reduction.
According to the Telegram channel “Krovavaya Barynya,” a decision to ban WhatsApp and Telegram calls has already been made at the highest level, officially framed as “fighting terrorism.” Final consultations are expected to conclude in the coming days.
Channels and text messaging in these apps will remain available. However, telecom market insiders warn that using foreign SIM cards might not bypass the ban, as TSPU (technical counter-threat measures) systems can also affect such traffic.
Rumors of possible messenger restrictions in Russia have surfaced before. In July, Anton Gorelkin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, said WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, as it would likely be added to the list of software from “unfriendly” countries subject to blocking. He added that Telegram has a higher chance of remaining.
Gorelkin named the Russian national messenger MAX as WhatsApp’s potential replacement.
MAX, launched in 2025 by VK, is designed for messaging, video calls, money transfers, integration with the Gosuslugi public services portal, and mini-apps. It includes the GigaChat AI, supports channels, chatbots, and “super-app” functionality similar to China’s WeChat. Its pre-installation on devices in Russia will become mandatory starting September 2025.
