Max messenger crashes following Telegram slowdown

On February 10, 2026, Russian messaging app Max faced a sharp increase in user complaints. These issues emerged shortly after Roskomnadzor began throttling Telegram. According to monitoring service Detector404, the volume of reports surged significantly and continues to climb.

The Max messenger recorded a mass spike in user issues on February 10, 2026, with Detector404 data confirming this surge in complaints.

The problems followed the throttling of Telegram; both messaging platforms are experiencing outages around the same time.

Max is a Russian messenger developed by VK, boasting over 75 million registered users. The app is also part of Russia’s mandatory pre-installed software list for electronic devices.

What issues are users reporting with Max

The main complaints include the app failing to open or load, inability to send messages, and media files not arriving. On Detector404’s tag cloud, the most frequent terms are “app won’t open,” “media won’t load,” “unable to send message,” and “not working.”

Most reports come from Android devices, accounting for about 44% of complaints, followed by Windows at 26% and iOS at 19%. Geographically, the highest concentration of issues comes from Ulyanovsk and Tomsk regions, the Republic of Karelia, and Moscow.

Link between Max and Telegram outages

Max’s widespread disruptions started shortly after similar issues hit Telegram, which has been experiencing outages for two consecutive days. On February 10, Roskomnadzor began officially throttling Pavel Durov’s messaging app. Over 8,500 Telegram-related complaints were recorded by Downdetector within 24 hours.

No direct causal link between Telegram’s throttling and Max’s outages has been confirmed yet. Neither VK nor Roskomnadzor have commented on the Max issues. The timing coincidence might be due to technical problems on VK’s side or increased server load as Telegram users migrate to Max.

Context: Max as a replacement for foreign messengers

Launched by VK in March 2025, Max was introduced as a Russian alternative to Telegram and WhatsApp. VK’s press service reports that registered users have surpassed 75 million. The app is mandatory for pre-installation on all electronic devices sold in Russia.

With the gradual restrictions on foreign messaging apps, State Duma deputies have repeatedly pointed to Max as the intended platform for Russian users to switch to. However, according to surveys by FSO and VCIOM, Russians reacted negatively to the blocking of calls on Telegram and WhatsApp and the push toward domestic messengers. By the end of 2025, Kremlin officials reportedly deemed forced user migration to Max a failure.