14 DAY TRIAL // A new Russian law that came into effect on April 1 requires companies selling devices in the country to give users the option to pre-load a series of locally developed apps as an alternative to the typical apps already installed on the device.
Like others, Apple is one of the companies that need to comply with the regulation, so iPhones have been updated with a new setup experience in Russia where users are directed to a list of apps where they can choose what to install.
This shows up on the first-run experience, and right now, some of the apps that Apple provides to users include the public services app developed by the Russian government, Mail.ru (a mail service that can be used as an alternative to Apple’s Mail app), Yandex Maps, and Yandex Browser.
All these apps are displayed in a list that seems to be hosted in the App Store, and they also include OK Live, VK, ICQ, and others.
App list also displayed on Android devices
“In compliance with Russia legal requirements, here are some apps from Russian developers that you may download,” a message shown at the bottom of this app list reads.
On the other hand, users aren’t forced to install these apps, and simply tapping the X button in the top right corner lets them close the list and head back to the setup screen to continue the process.
Apple is yet to officially announce the new setup experience in Russia, but it should be live on all devices sold in the country, so it was most likely included in the latest software update.
All the apps that show up in the list are said to be manually picked by the Russian government, so it’s not a selection made by Apple itself. The same list should also be available when setting up an Android device.