Yandex has released a new app called Yandex Plus for iPhone that bundles three of its subscription services — Kinopoisk (video streaming), Yandex Music, and Yandex Books — into a single interface. The idea is to let users browse movies, music, and books without switching between separate apps. However, according to the source author’s hands-on experience, the combined app comes with notable compromises: the music section is significantly stripped down compared to the standalone Yandex Music app, while the video and books sections fare much better. Yandex has not announced any plans to discontinue the standalone apps.
What you need to know
- Yandex Plus combines Kinopoisk (video), Yandex Music, and Yandex Books into one app with a unified recommendation feed.
- The music tab lacks access to user playlists — only wave, trends, and personalized recommendations are available at launch.
- The Kinopoisk tab closely mirrors the standalone app, but ticket purchasing (cinema, concerts) is not supported.
- The books section preserves reading progress and the source author reports it works smoothly with no apparent feature cuts.
Yandex has published a new app for iPhone in the App Store
A unified recommendation feed at the center
The first thing users see after launching the app is a large recommendation feed that mixes content from all three services — films, TV series, new music releases, and books. The feed includes top charts, themed collections, and “continue where you left off” blocks for content already in progress. A “Suggest more” button refreshes the recommendations on the spot, and the source author reports it responds quickly, adapting to different moods within a few taps.
Tap “Suggest more” and the recommendations refresh
A bottom tab bar provides quick navigation between five sections: Home, Kinopoisk, Music, Books, and Profile. Each tab aims to replicate the functionality of its standalone counterpart — though, as detailed below, the degree of feature parity varies.
Kinopoisk: the strongest section
The source author reports that the Kinopoisk tab is the most complete of the three services. Its structure closely mirrors the standalone Kinopoisk app, with sections for movies, sports, and channels at the top. Search works as expected, and the source author notes no re-learning was required.
Kinopoisk most closely resembles its standalone app
However, some features were not carried over. Purchasing cinema or concert tickets is not available within Yandex Plus; users still need the dedicated apps for that.
Profile and subscription management
A dedicated Profile tab consolidates account management: subscription controls, loyalty points, family group settings, and a list of active devices. The source author notes that subscription management is prominently placed and easy to find.
A dedicated tab for profile management
Music: significant limitations
The music section is where the source author reports the most frustration. The tab offers only wave (algorithmic radio), trends, and personalized recommendations. Crucially, the source author was unable to find any way to access personal playlists — a significant gap for anyone who has organized their music library within Yandex Music. For a service used daily, the source author describes this as a noticeable shortcoming.
The music section felt lacking, according to the source author
Books: a smooth transition
The books section fares considerably better. The source author reports a clean, well-organized layout with no unnecessary tabs. Reading progress syncs from the user’s account, so picking up where you left off works immediately. The reader launches without delays, and the source author notes none of the navigation quirks or feature cuts seen in the music section.
The books section is reasonably convenient to use
Who might benefit — and who should wait
The source author’s overall verdict is mixed. The central question — why use a combined app when the standalone versions remain available and more feature-complete — does not yet have a compelling answer for most users. Yandex has not announced plans to retire the individual apps.
That said, the combined app could appeal to users with limited device storage, since one app replaces three and reduces home screen clutter. It may also suit users who prefer browsing movies, music, and books from a single interface without switching between apps.
The source author ultimately chose to remain on the standalone apps, citing greater functionality and established habits. The app is available on both the App Store (download link) and Google Play, though it is currently limited to accounts in the Russian region.
