The MAX messenger has announced a major update for the coming months. Comments, stories, and live streams are promised to roll out as early as summer 2026, while channel analytics and multi-account support are expected closer to the end of the year. Despite this, some users explain in detail why they’re not switching to MAX just yet. Below is a look at what’s been announced that actually changes the experience for iPhone owners, and what remains just a promise for now.
A mountain of new features coming to MAX by the end of 2026
Comments and Stories in MAX: Launch Timeline
The most notable update concerns channels and the personal feed. Comments and stories will appear in June–July 2026 — both features are already being actively tested. Channel authors will be able to publish their own stories closer to the end of summer.
Waiting for stories without restrictions
For the average user, this means a simple thing: channels in MAX will finally resemble the familiar format where you can not only read a post but also discuss it right below the entry. Until now, discussion was essentially absent, and this was one of the main complaints about the messenger from authors who had moved from Telegram.
New MAX Chat Features — Pinned Messages, Quoting, and Archive
In parallel, the chat interface itself will be updated. In the coming months, MAX will add:
- message previews
- quoting individual text fragments
- pinning messages in chats
- chat archive
These are basic features that most messengers have had for years, so they shouldn’t be seen as a breakthrough. Rather, this is a catch-up update to the level of Telegram and WhatsApp: without these features, using the messenger seriously for work was inconvenient.
It’s also noted that users with visual and hearing impairments will gain access to a set of assistive features — details are promised later. This comes in addition to text transcriptions of voice messages, which appeared in MAX on May 5.
Streams and Live Broadcasts in MAX Channels in Summer 2026
Live broadcasts are also coming to MAX
In summer 2026, authors will be able to run live broadcasts and streams directly in chats and channels. Currently, this is implemented through integration with “VK Video”, meaning viewers need to switch to an external service. After the update, the broadcast will launch within the messenger itself.
The practical value of this feature depends on whether you have a channel audience. For the average reader, it’s simply more convenient: no need to jump between apps, the broadcast opens in the same feed. For authors and businesses, it’s a potential alternative to streams in Telegram, but without clear reach numbers so far.
Analytics and Channel Promotion in MAX in Autumn 2026
Extended analytics, channel settings, and promotion tools are stated as a priority and should appear in autumn 2026. There are no specifics yet about which metrics will be available or how exactly the promotion tools will work — this is an announcement of direction, not a finished feature.
Channel owners will have access to detailed analytics
If you run a channel, this means one thing: it’s too early to seriously plan a move to MAX as your main platform before autumn — there’s nothing to measure results with and nothing to attract new audiences.
Business Accounts and Multi-Account in MAX Messenger
This summer, MAX promises to launch verified business accounts and profiles for official organization representatives. This should increase trust in conversations and voice calls with companies — that is, reduce the risk of a scammer writing to you under the guise of a bank or marketplace.
In addition, the following has been announced:
- expanded integration with major CRM systems, so managers can conduct client conversations through familiar work interfaces
- updates for company chatbots
- advertising tools for channel promotion — by the end of the year
Users will be able to switch between different accounts within one app
Multi-account deserves special mention. You’ll finally be able to add multiple profiles to the app — for example, personal and work — and quickly switch between them by the end of 2026. On iPhone, this is especially useful: there’s no system-level way to maintain two independent messengers in iOS, and logging out of an account every time is inconvenient.
What’s Better — MAX or Telegram: Comparing New Features
If we briefly compare the announced MAX updates with what Telegram has had for a long time:
- comments under channel posts — have been working in Telegram for years, will appear in MAX in summer 2026
- stories — available in Telegram since 2023, promised in MAX this summer
- streams in channels — built into Telegram long ago, will be moved inside the MAX app this summer
- pinned messages, quoting, chat archive — standard in Telegram, will be added to MAX in the coming months
- multi-account — available in Telegram, will come to MAX by year’s end
As you can see, Telegram is currently better than MAX in every parameter. In other words, in 2026 MAX is only catching up in features to what Telegram users are already accustomed to. If you’re already using MAX for work or government chats, the summer updates will noticeably make life easier: basic conveniences will appear, without which the messenger felt incomplete.
