It first became known in March 2025 that Russia was planning to launch a national super-messenger, MAX, with a payment system and other built-in services.
At the time, the newspaper Vedomosti reported that MAX could develop as an analogue of the Chinese app WeChat, which users rely on for a wide range of tasks, from paying for purchases and looking for work to submitting visa documents and booking medical appointments.
Despite those promises, there was little visible interest in the new service in its first months. According to search trend data, Russians only began actively looking up MAX in early June.
This was partly because the app had virtually no advertising at launch. Media outlets mentioned it, but a more noticeable promotional campaign began later.
The main driver of that promotion was VK, the app’s developer. In early July, the organizers of VK Fest announced that people attending performances in St. Petersburg would be able to enter through a separate MAX-branded line without queuing.
According to the organizers, all that was required was to install the app and show it together with a ticket.