Russia’s Cabinet mandates pre-installed Russian-made apps on all new devices starting in 2021

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed a government decree obliging electronics manufacturers to install Russian-made software on new devices — including smartphones, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, and smart TVs — as of January 1, 2021.

The list of programs for mandatory pre-installation has 16 categories, including browsers, search engines, navigators and maps, messengers, new aggregators, social networks, email services, and programs for accessing the “Mir” payment system. Specific programs are set to be developed by December 15. 

Initially, the mandatory pre-installation of Russian-made software was supposed to come into force on July 1, 2020, but in March this deadline was pushed by six months.

Previously, the Russian authorities planned to introduce the mandatory pre-installed apps in stages, starting with Russian-made browser, maps, and navigators as of July 1, 2020; payment and emails services, messengers, and social networks as of July 2021; and “programs for providing audiovisual services, as well as applications for free access to national television and radio channels” as of July 2022. The new government decree does not specify whether or not these deadlines have been moved.