I had already settled into the national messenger, made peace with the clunky animations, learned to find the right channels through the inconvenient search — and then this happened. I had just recently written about whether it’s worth switching from Telegram to MAX and concluded there wasn’t much of a choice. But on April 17, something changed. I open Telegram on Android (I’m using a vivo X300) without any additional tools, and it works. Messages send, media loads. I checked, and the messenger really works. Let me break down what’s happening.

Something happened with Telegram…

Telegram in Russia Right Now: Working or Not

Since late evening on April 16, 2026, some users in Russia have had Telegram working without any additional tools. This has been confirmed by the “Kod Durova” editorial team, which verified that it works correctly on the latest app versions, including beta builds.

All core functions work: sending and receiving messages, loading media files, voice messages. At the same time, the app shows an active session from another country in the “Devices” section of settings — even for those who didn’t connect anything or use any additional services. For example, I’m now apparently in Norway.

In “Settings” — “Privacy” — “Devices,” it shows that I’m now in Oslo

Important caveat: the situation is unstable. Some users experience periodic speed drops and media fails to load, but after a while everything returns to normal. Telegram in Russia in 2026 remains unpredictable: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and you shouldn’t count on stability.

Who Has Telegram Working

The picture is uneven, and this is important to understand. Personally, Telegram works for me on Android with two carriers: Beeline (mobile) and Rostelecom (home). But in our editorial team, the story is different: colleagues without a Telegram Premium subscription still can’t open the messenger. It doesn’t work on iPhones either. The PC situation is similar. So the picture looks like this:

  • Android with Telegram Premium works for many;
  • Android without Premium still doesn’t work for most;
  • iPhone doesn’t work;
  • PC and web version don’t work.

So for most people, messages still don’t come through on Telegram. Is this a reason to install the MAX messenger? Decide for yourself. I suggest you take a deeper look at the context to understand the prospects for Telegram working in 2026.

Why Telegram Doesn’t Work

For those just getting up to speed, here’s a brief overview. Why Telegram doesn’t work in Russia has been covered separately. In short: Roskomnadzor restricted the messenger for refusing to hand over user data at the authorities’ request. The Telegram block in Russia operates at the carrier level: providers are required to restrict traffic to Telegram servers.

Telegram is blocked in Russia specifically by restricting access to server IP addresses. Why has it started working for some Android users now? Experts point to probable changes within the app itself. It appears that Telegram has implemented disguised connections. This also explains the unusual session geolocation: the app routes the connection through servers in other countries without requiring any additional actions from the user. This is an internal Telegram technology, not actions by regulators or providers.

Will Telegram Be Unblocked in Russia

Counting on an official unblock is premature for now

There are no official signals about lifting the Telegram block. Formally, the messenger is still blocked, and what happened doesn’t mean the situation has changed at the regulatory level. Colleagues at AppleInsider.ru explored the question of when Telegram will be unblocked in Russia. The forecast there is very cautious, and that’s understandable.

The fact that the messenger started working for some users is a technical development, not a Roskomnadzor decision. The situation could change at any moment: the block hasn’t gone anywhere. How sustainable this solution is and how long it will last is impossible to say. Telegram in 2026 in Russia remains in limbo. Use it while it works, but keep in mind that tomorrow the picture could be completely different.