Max (app)

Max (stylized in all uppercase; Russian: Макс, [ˈmaks] MAKS, from the word "maximum") 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, allowing access to online government services, verifying identity through a digital ID, electronically signing documents, and making 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, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, or Uzbekistan 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 imposes restrictions on the use of other messenger applications.