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Turkish BiP Messenger Audience in Russia Surges 650 Times in One Year Amid Foreign App Adoption

Russian users continue exploring foreign messaging services even as initial hype subsides. MTS AdTech data shows demand for overseas platforms rose 50 percent in the first quarter and 26 percent in the second. Turkish BiP emerged as the standout performer, with its Russian monthly active users climbing 120 percent from April to July to reach 4.3 million. This marks a dramatic increase from just 6,600 users a year earlier. South Korean KakaoTalk grew 80 percent to 1.26 million users, while WeChat rose 17 percent and Gem Space increased 11 percent. American Imo remains the largest foreign messenger with 12.2 million users but added only 1 percent over the quarter. Blocked services SimpleX and Discord saw declines of 41 percent and 8 percent respectively, while domestic platforms VKontakte, MAX and Telegram retain far larger audiences.

AntiMalwareTranslated from Russian

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Russian users continue exploring foreign messaging services even as initial hype subsides. According to MTS AdTech, demand for overseas platforms rose 50 percent in the first quarter and 26 percent in the second quarter. The desire for backup communication channels remains, yet users now install apps more selectively rather than downloading everything available.

The standout performer of the quarter, according to Kommersant, was the Turkish messenger BiP. Between April and July its Russian monthly active audience grew 120 percent, reaching 4.3 million users. For comparison, only 6,600 Russians used the service a year earlier, meaning BiP has moved far beyond statistical noise.

KakaoTalk from South Korea added 80 percent and now counts 1.26 million users. WeChat grew 17 percent while Gem Space increased 11 percent. Mobile operators report similar trends, though with varying figures: MegaFon recorded 32 percent growth for BiP and 98 percent for KakaoTalk, while T2 observed fivefold and 3.5-fold increases respectively.

The most popular foreign messenger remains American Imo with 12.2 million users, though it added just 1 percent over the quarter. Blocked services SimpleX and Discord fared worse, losing 41 percent and 8 percent of their audiences. No mass exodus from familiar platforms has occurred yet.

Domestic services continue to dominate: VKontakte reaches 94.8 million monthly users, MAX has 86.2 million, and Telegram counts 75.7 million. Russians typically install foreign messengers to stay in touch with relatives abroad, for experimentation, or as backup options. Experts predict further audience fragmentation, with users keeping multiple messengers on their devices, so no single winner has emerged.

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