Apple removes custom VPN clients from Russian App Store amid Telegram crackdown

Date:
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:58:40 +0000

Description:
After blocking Telegram, Russian authorities are now restricting access to custom proxy and VPN apps on Apple's App Store.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
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your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Apple has allegedly removed proxy tools and VPN clients from Russia's App Store Streisand, V2Box, v2RayTun, Happ Proxy Utility are reportedly unavailable The removals come days after the Telegram shutdown began Apple
has reportedly pulled several VPN clients from its Russian App Store, marking yet another escalation in the country's efforts to control internet access.

According to reports from Russian tech outlet Kod Durova , the removals include proxy and VPN service applications Streisand, V2Box, v2RayTun, and Happ Proxy Utility. Data from AppleCensorship, a platform that tracks App Store availability globally, confirms these applications have been delisted
in both Russia and China. Article continues below You may like Telegram CEO condemns new restrictions in Russia as citizens turn to VPNs to bypass the blocks Russia's state-backed MAX app may know if you are using a VPN to
bypass censorship Telegram shutdown begins in Russia here's everything we know

Unlike mainstream services like NordVPN or Surfshark , these apps allow users to connect to their own private servers or manual proxy configurations.

The move follows a growing crackdown on VPNs in the country and coincides
with the blocking of Telegram, which remains ongoing. Targeting custom
proxies This is not the first time Apple has reportedly removed VPN services from its Russian App Store.

In 2024 alone, the tech giant delisted at least 60 VPN apps , affecting several well-known providers, including NordVPN , ExpressVPN , and Proton VPN .

These censorship efforts escalated significantly following the introduction
of a 2024 law that criminalizes the spread of information on how to bypass internet restrictions.

The developer behind v2RayTun one of the apps impacted by this latest round of removals shared a screenshot of an email received from Apple on Telegram
. (Image credit: Future) While these applications are no longer available to download from the Russian App Store, users who have already installed the tools will be able to continue using them as usual. What to read next Russia is using DNS and DPI to block YouTube, Telegram and WhatsApp while pushing state-controlled MAX as alternative "Another wave of VPN blocks:" Windscribe records drop in traffic in Russia Windscribe launches stealth VPN app to beat censorship in Iran and Russia

However, because they are delisted, these apps will no longer receive crucial software updates, including security patches, bug fixes, and new features via the App Store. When asked about the removal of WhatsApp and Threads from China's App Store in 2024, the company told The Guardian it was "obligated to follow the laws in the country where we operate, even when we disagree." TechRadar has reached out to Apple and the impacted developers for comment
and will update this story if more information becomes available.

Kod Durova, however, reports that the same applications remain available to download via Google Play for Android users in the country. The Telegram connection The news of these App Store removals comes at a time when access
to a reliable VPN has never been more important in Russia.

For the past two weeks, residents have faced severe connectivity issues with Telegram, the country's most popular messaging app.

Just days before these disruptions began, government official Andrey Svintsov claimed that Roskomnadzor had developed the technical capability to selectively restrict VPN traffic, warning that circumvention tools would not help users bypass the Telegram block.

Speaking to TechRadar, Amnezia VPN founder Mazay Banzaev confirmed that while Russia's core blocking mechanisms haven't fundamentally changed, they have become more precise and efficient.

"Improved detection of VPN traffic, hosting infrastructure, and related services is now having a direct impact on Telegrams availability," Banzaev explained, though he confirmed that Amnezia Free and Premium can still bypass Telegram restrictions.

However, it's clear that the country's approach to blocking websites is changing.

"Previously, censors focused on identifying weak points specific servers, proxies, or CDNs. Now, blocking is applied more broadly and aggressively,
with less concern about collateral damage or unintended disruptions," Banzaev told TechRadar.

This latest wave of App Store removals signals a new phase in Russian
internet censorship. By pivoting from mainstream, ready-made VPN providers to the tools that allow tech-savvy users to run custom proxy configurations, Roskomnadzor is systematically closing the remaining loopholes.

At this pace, iPhone users in Russia could soon be left with very few options to access the free web. Today's best VPN deals NordVPN 2 Year 2.59 /mth View +3 months free Surfshark 24 Months 1.49 /mth View Proton VPN 2.39 /mth View
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/apple-removes-custom-vpn-cl ients-from-russian-app-store-amid-telegram-crackdown


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