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Kate Mobile Loses VK API Access After New Request Limits Exhaust Quota in 1.5 Days

Popular third-party Android client Kate Mobile has been cut off from VK services following the introduction of strict monthly API request caps. VK implemented the new limits on September 7, offering verified partners up to 100 million requests per month while requiring payment for additional access by third-party services. Kate Mobile developers had requested pricing details in advance but received no response from VK. Calculations showed that the app's real user base would consume the entire 100-million-request allowance in roughly 36 hours, with the messages.send method alone generating twice the allowed volume. Caching optimizations cannot mitigate the issue because message sending cannot be cached. Developers view the change as an effort to eliminate alternative clients rather than a genuine monetization strategy. Users expressed disappointment, praising the app's long-term support and criticizing the official VK client for excessive features and advertising.

AntiMalwareTranslated from Russian

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Popular alternative Android client Kate Mobile has lost access to VK services after the social network introduced new monthly API request limits. Developers of the application announced the shutdown, stating that the updated VK API conditions effectively ended support for unofficial clients.

Starting September 7, VK imposed monthly caps on the number of requests and announced paid access to the API for third-party services. The Kate Mobile team had previously inquired about pricing and payment procedures but never received a reply. Verified partners receive up to 100 million requests per month, a figure that appears substantial until real user traffic is considered.

According to the developers' estimates, Kate Mobile users exhausted this volume in approximately one and a half days. Further optimization offers little relief because the application can cache data locally but cannot cache the sending of messages. The messages.send method alone generates twice as many requests as the new limit permits.

The team believes the restrictions are aimed at squeezing out alternative clients rather than purely monetizing the API. No official position from VK has been published in available materials. Users reacted negatively, thanking the developers for years of support, calling the event the end of an era, and complaining that the official VK client is overloaded with features and advertising.

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