WhatsApp* and Telegram will stop working as of September 1: millions of Russians will lose access to their favorite apps.

      13:48 August 17 Milana Nikolaeva

      Pro Gorod

      About the City

      In Russia, the rules for messenger services may change significantly over the next month and a half: by September 1, 2025 the president ordered the introduction of restrictions for services from "unfriendly" countries, federal media report. A list of such apps has not yet been published, but WhatsApp* and Telegram are being discussed first and foremost. WhatsApp* may become the first candidate for disconnection: the service belongs to Meta (designated as an extremist organization and banned in Russia), so there is a high likelihood of blocking both new installations and already functioning versions — if this is implemented technically. The situation with Telegram is more complicated: the company is not Western, its headquarters have been in the UAE since 2017, and its British legal entity was liquidated in 2019. There is no direct link to an "unfriendly" jurisdiction, but there have been no official explanations from the agencies so far, and experts' opinions differ.

      Users are preparing in different ways: some are counting on workarounds via VPN, some are already looking for replacements. On the market, the Russian messenger Max is being promoted — it is being actively rolled out in companies and government bodies, promising security and functionality, but by user reviews it is inferior to Telegram in convenience. Publication of the list of "unfriendly" services and the order of restrictions is expected; partial measures are possible (for example, a ban on new installations), however a full block of WhatsApp is likely, while Telegram has a chance to remain. The main task for people is to transfer communications and contacts to new platforms.

      *WhatsApp is owned by Meta; the organization has been designated extremist and banned in Russia.

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      More news about the event:

      WhatsApp* and Telegram will cease functioning from September 1: Russians will be left without access to popular messengers

      16:35 August 17

      Anastasia Konovalova

      From the "Pro Gorod" archive

      Russia stands on the threshold of large-scale changes in the digital landscape related to messengers used by millions of citizens. 16:53 17.08.2025 ProGorodNN.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      WhatsApp* and Telegram will stop working from September 1: millions of Russians will lose access to their favorite apps

      13:48 August 17

      Milana Nikolaeva

      Pro Gorod

      Rules for messengers in Russia may change significantly over the next month and a half: 14:03 17.08.2025 ProGorodNN.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      Regional news on the topic:

      Eldar Murtazin: "What they are doing to promote Max is destroying the foundation of our economy"

      Will Telegram be blocked, are we facing a Chinese-style firewall, and should one use WhatsApp*?

      "A significant portion of people are irritated by messenger blocks, and they will solve this problem one way or another." 09:39 17.08.2025 Business Online - Kazan

      Telegram made contact. The messenger addressed all Russians

      Photo: freepik.com

      Telegram commented on Roskomnadzor's decision on the "partial restriction" of calls in the service. 19:43 16.08.2025 Delovoy Ezhenedelnik Konkurrent - Vladivostok

      A popular messenger may be completely blocked in September

      Expert Murtazin: a WhatsApp block and restrictions on Telegram are possible in autumn Photo: istockphoto.com Author: Anastasia Morozova

      In September, WhatsApp* may be blocked, and Telegram may face partial degradation of service. 18:25 15.08.2025 Regions.Ru - Moscow region

      National messenger vs familiar services: how Tatarstan is adopting MAX

      Federals were ordered to switch to the new platform; in the republic installation of MAX is still advisory

      Photo: 17:20 15.08.2025 Realnoe Vremya - Kazan

      Roskomnadzor blocked messengers Whatsapp and Telegram.

      Russia. Period.

      Since August 14 Roskomnadzor began a phased blocking of calls from WhatsApp and Telegram messengers. 14:38 15.08.2025 Bugulma.ws - Bugulma

      Kaluga Ministry of Digital Development: problems with calls via WhatsApp and Telegram are here to stay

      Mikhail Tyrin The Ministry of Digital Development of the Kaluga Region explained why this is so and what will happen next. 13:01 15.08.2025 Kaluzhskiy perekrestok - Kaluga

      Calls via Telegram and WhatsApp* have been limited for Bryansk residents

      Roskomnadzor reported a partial restriction on the ability to make calls in Telegram and WhatsApp* messengers in order to counter criminal activity, as law enforcement agencies told the agency. 12:19 15.08.2025 Bryanskaya Ulitsa - Bryansk

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      Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region

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