Main points
- Apple has stopped processing all payments in Russia, which has affected the availability of both the App Store and the company's media services.
- This decision was prompted by a demand from the Russian government and Apple's desire to avoid the risks associated with international sanctions.
Apple closes financial gateways in Russia and blocks popular services / Collage 24 Channel/Unsplash
Apple has announced a complete halt to all payment processing in Russia. The decision, effective in early April, is a game-changer for millions of iPhone and Mac owners who, even during the war, still had access to a stable ecosystem and regular service updates.
What has changed in the operation of Apple services for Russians?
On April 1, some media outlets reported that Apple ID account replenishment had stopped working in Russia. They provided screenshots from Russian sources, which showed relevant service notifications about the temporary unavailability of payments. Now, from a separate statement from Apple itself, it became known why this is happening, writes 9to5mac.
As it became known, from April 1, 2026, Russian users lost the ability to pay for any goods and services in the App Store, as well as in the company's media services. This restriction applies to almost all digital content: from games in Apple Arcade to subscriptions to iCloud+ and Apple Music.
Themselves to blame
The official reason for this step was the instruction of the Russian government. The Ministry of Digital Development obliged mobile operators, which are part of the so-called “big four”, to stop replenishing the Apple ID balance through mobile phone accounts. This method has become critically important for many after Russian bank cards were previously blocked.
However, Apple did not limit itself to complying with the government order and went much further, completely stopping the processing of any payments. One of the reasons for such a harsh reaction, experts say, is the corporation's desire to avoid additional risks associated with violating international sanctions.
Apple has previously been fined for accidentally violating sanctions on Russia, so the company is now acting as cautiously as possible to play it safe. There is also a version that the actions of the Russian authorities are aimed primarily at blocking VPN services that allow citizens to bypass state censorship on the Internet.
Despite blocking new transactions, certain loopholes for users remain:
- If the user's account balance already has funds, they can use them for purchases or subscription renewals until the amount is completely exhausted.
- Additionally, the company has allowed you to activate previously purchased App Store gift codes that have not yet been used.
- As for apps and content that have already been purchased or downloaded previously, they will remain available in the user's library.
- The tech giant also left the option to update already installed applications, if technically possible.
What services will Russians say goodbye to?
The list of services that are at risk is quite extensive.
- In addition to popular streaming platforms, the restrictions will affect even such small things as purchasing ringtones from the iTunes Store or subscriptions to Apple Podcasts.
- The Apple One bundled subscription, which bundles multiple services at a lower price, will also stop working once the paid period or internal account balance expires.
- Russians will also not be able to purchase Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, or iCloud+.
As for iCloud+, the company assured that the end of the subscription will not lead to an immediate loss of access to personal files and photos. Even after the subscription is terminated due to the impossibility of debiting funds, user data will remain available for viewing. Russians will be able to continue to manage their storage, as well as download media files from iCloud to their devices so as not to lose them. However, adding new data to the cloud will become impossible if the space limit is exhausted.