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- Don't have rubles in the store: Russians are facing problems when using Apple services
Don't have rubles in the store: Russians are facing problems when using Apple services
Russians are faced with a slowdown in Apple services: on April 1, complaints about failures in iCloud began to appear on the Runet, and when trying to log into the AppStore, a technical error was issued. Experts attribute what is happening to restrictions in the company's work due to non-compliance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation. Sources in the telecom industry also reported that by the end of the year, Russians may lose the ability to pay for accounts even through the remaining loopholes, for example, with gift cards. How the unavailability of paid medical services, smart homes and other products of the Apple ecosystem will affect Russians — in the Izvestia article.
Problems accessing Apple
Izvestia's sources in the IT industry warn that by the end of 2026, Russians may lose their last payment methods for the company's services. In particular, we are talking about gift cards, which are still one of the few available alternatives for adding funds to the App Store. Currently, such solutions are partially supported through popular banking applications, however, these channels may be closed in the near future, according to the experts interviewed.
Since April 1, some Russians have encountered technical problems when using iCloud and the App Store. Complaints were sent to the hotline of the Regional Public Information Technology Center (ROCIT) and discussed on social media. A number of users reported inability to use the usual services. The most common problem was the message in the App Store: "Your account is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later." Experts attribute what is happening to the limitations of Apple's work in Russia and note that disruptions may be caused by infrastructural changes and reduced support in the region.
The press service of Roskomnadzor noted that the agency had not received any decisions of the authorized bodies regarding Apple services.
At the same time, payments from mobile phone accounts stopped taking place: users cannot pay for purchases in the App Store or replenish their internal wallet balance. When the operation is attempted, a message appears: "Mobile payment is unavailable. Please try again later."
Izvestia sent requests to Sberbank and Yandex with a request to comment on the continued possibility of replenishing Apple cards.
"The restrictions primarily affect law—abiding users who are willing to pay for legal services, including medical services,— said IT expert Dmitry Shtanenko. — Alternative payment methods are currently either unstable or are gradually disappearing, while there are no comparable Russian solutions yet. As a result, the ecosystem loses its key value — uninterrupted operation and reliability of services.
Restrictions on payment for Apple services are already affecting the most sensitive use cases — the smart home and health-related functions, noted IT expert Sergey Pomortsev. According to him, some of the features in Apple Home depend on cloud services, which is why users lose remote access and the stability of automation. At the same time, Apple Health retains basic data collection, but is limited to integration with paid applications.
— Although the basic functionality remains available, users are deprived of a number of advanced features — synchronization with paid services, analytical tools and integration with medical applications. This reduces the value of Apple devices for regular health monitoring, the expert believes.
According to an expert close to marketplaces, the restrictions will affect not only the telecom industry — the next stage may be the sale of cards on online platforms. There are no plans to officially prohibit replenishment of the balance, however, recommendations may be given to sites to exclude such products from the search results. As a result, App Store gift cards may continue to be sold on local platforms, while on large marketplaces they may be renamed, for example, to "crediting funds to a digital bullseye," the source noted.
How to pay in the App Store from Russia now
At the same time, App Store gift cards are still widely available on operator websites and other online platforms. Their representatives, interviewed by Izvestia, declined to comment on possible restrictions on the sale of Apple cards and promo codes. According to sources close to the two companies, there have been no orders to remove them from the range or restrict them in search results.
However, the cost of such cards significantly exceeds the face value. For example, on the website of one of the telecom companies, a 1,000-ruble card is offered for 1,889 rubles. Izvestia counted more than 360 offers on one of the major trading platforms. The cards are available for both Apple ID accounts registered in Russia and in other countries, including Turkey and the United States.
— To activate such a card, you need to change the account registration country in the App Store menu, — explained an employee of one of the trading platforms.
In "M.Video" reported that gift cards for replenishment of the App Store remain on sale. Wildberries recorded an increase in demand for such cards: on March 30, their sales increased by 25% in physical terms compared to the previous day. At the same time, the marketplace's press service stressed that the demand was not massive.
It is unlikely to be possible to completely stop selling gift cards for the App Store: even if telecom operators and large online retailers refuse to sell them, such offers will remain on small platforms, says Karen Ghazaryan, director of the Internet Research Institute. At the same time, such payment methods will be more expensive than purchases from a mobile phone balance, since users will have to pay the commission of intermediaries.
Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily, shares a similar point of view. According to him, even with restrictions at the level of large platforms, including marketplaces, gift cards and other tools will continue to be distributed through local channels. At the same time, the expert does not expect a sharp decrease in interest in Apple technology — some users will continue to use foreign payment instruments, while others will abandon paid services.
Which other platforms are subject to restrictions
Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, recalled that any restrictions on digital goods inevitably lead to an increase in their cost to the end consumer. He noted that previously App Store gift cards were sold at a margin of 10-15% of face value, but now it reaches 30-40%, as this is one of the few remaining payment methods for users without foreign bank cards. However, it will not be possible to completely ban their distribution — even with restrictions, such cards will continue to be sold through alternative channels.
— The problems with services are broader and affect not only Apple: restrictions apply to foreign digital platforms in general, including cloud solutions, which leads to disruptions in the operation of both foreign and Russian resources. In fact, the course is aimed at limiting the activities of all major foreign platforms, which creates difficulties for users and businesses in the country," he said.
According to IT journalist and blogger Oleg Kapranov, large-scale work is underway to withdraw Apple from the domestic market after the company refused to fully cooperate with the Russian authorities.
— The company, acting in line with the sanctions restrictions, removed the applications of the largest Russian companies from the App Store and did not allow the alternative RuStore platform to enter the store. As a result, a situation has developed where the Apple ecosystem acts as a kind of monetary vacuum cleaner that sucks money out of the Russian Federation, preventing Russian companies from making money there. Such a situation cannot be maintained for a long time," he concluded.
Mikhail Shurygin, Chairman of the ROCIT Commission on Cloud Technologies and Information Security, predicts a further deterioration in the user experience. According to him, in the future, restrictions on iCloud may increase, including backup and synchronization functions, the stability of subscriptions and payments will be disrupted, and some of the iOS features will become unavailable. He also does not exclude the gradual disappearance of individual applications from the App Store and a decrease in the quality of device service.
— There will be no sudden shutdowns — we are talking about a gradual decrease in functionality. As a result, the iPhone may turn into a device with limited capabilities," he noted.
According to him, in such conditions, interest in Apple devices, primarily among new users, will decrease, while current owners will continue to use the devices, resorting to various workarounds. This, in turn, may lead to an increase in the share of Android devices in the market.
How users adapt to new conditions
According to Eldar Murtazin, users are increasingly abandoning expensive devices in favor of more affordable models, as some of the usual functions are becoming unavailable. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in sales in the premium segment, a drop in retail revenues and a reduction in tax revenues. He attributes the rise in electronics prices to a combination of factors and predicts an increase in the cost of devices by at least 40% in 2026.
Blogger and journalist, author of the show "Ai.Tolk" Ilya Gogua believes that users partially adapt to new conditions. According to him, part of the professional audience is already using alternative payment methods and software solutions, including third-party app stores and the search for analogues of specialized software.
At the same time, he stressed that mass users will not be left without alternatives: some subscriptions can be issued through third-party platforms, and the market will eventually offer new solutions to circumvent restrictions. At the same time, he estimates that there will be a growing interest in alternative devices, including Android-based smartphones and products from Chinese manufacturers offering comparable characteristics.
Experts note that this dynamic reflects the transformation of the market: restrictions and price increases restrain demand for premium devices, while more affordable models remain attractive due to the combination of price and functionality. As a result, the market is gradually shifting towards budget solutions, including within the Apple ecosystem.
Sergey Zolotukhin, a cybersecurity consultant at F6, also warned of an increase in fraudulent schemes related to "restoring access to iCloud." According to him, similar methods are used in relation to other services, access to which is limited. Attackers can offer intermediary services for paying for subscriptions or create fake iCloud and Apple ID login pages. This is fraught not only with loss of money, but also with leakage of credentials, device lock, and installation of malicious software.
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