Russia unveils ‘Altai’ neuromorphic chip to challenge US in low-power AI and defence applications
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- Average weekly WhatsApp usage time fell from 219 minutes to 161 minutes year-on-year
- Average session duration decreased 21% from 148 seconds to 118 seconds
- Daily app openings declined from nearly 13 times to less than 12 times
WhatsApp us in Russia has declined by 27% in 2025, analytics firm Digital Budget told RBC on December 15 in what appears to be part of a shift in Russian users away from the US-owned application.
Use of WhatsApp in Russia has dropped sharply this year, primarily due to users migrating to domestic or more secure messaging apps like Telegram, which has been a thorn in the Russian government's side since its creation by emigre billionaire Pavel Durov.
WhatsApp is still accessible in Russia and remains one of the most‑used messengers, but video and voice call functions have faced technical restrictions and slowdowns linked to state regulators and operators.
The analysis examined user activity among Russian Android users, who account for 52-57% of mobile devices in the country, comparing weekly data from November 2024 and November 2025.
During the week of November 24 to November 30, 2025, when Russians faced the most significant access problems on WhatsApp, the average total time spent in the messenger over seven days reached 161 minutes, compared to 219 minutes during the corresponding week the previous year.
The average session duration on the messenger reached 118 seconds. During the comparable week in 2024, this figure stood at 148 seconds, representing a 21% year-on-year decline. At the same time, average daily app openings decreased from nearly 13 times to less than 12 times.
The number of active users who accessed the application at least once per week increased slightly despite the reduced engagement time. WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which has been designated as an extremist organisation and banned in Russia.
Earlier in 2025, Russian lawmakers and security officials have publicly labelled WhatsApp a “security threat” and warned it could be blocked if it does not comply with Russian data and content rules, including demands to localize data and cooperate with censorship.
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