Russia’s New 2027 Pre-Installed App List at a Glance
The Russian government has approved the list of software from Russia and other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries that must be pre-installed on certain electronic devices sold in the country during 2027. The cabinet order, reported by PRIME on July 31, 2026, takes effect on January 1, 2027.
For smartphones and tablets, the new list largely repeats the apps mandated for 2026, with one notable change: VK’s voice assistant Marusya has been dropped, and Yandex’s voice assistant Alisa AI has been added. The rest of the mandatory set includes Yandex Browser, Yandex with Alisa, Yandex Maps, 2GIS, Yandex Disk, Mail.ru, Max, Dzen, VK Video, VK, Odnoklassniki, Mir Pay, Gosuslugi, MyOffice, Kaspersky Lab’s antivirus, RuStore, the LitRes book service and the Chestny Znak product-tracking app.
For computers, the order requires pre-installation of Yandex Browser, MyOffice and Kaspersky Lab’s antivirus. Because the order names Russia and EAEU member states as the countries of origin, the pre-installed programs must come from that domestic pool rather than from foreign developers. The rules apply to “certain types of complex goods,” with the government’s list covering smartphones, tablets and computers.
What the App Swap Means for Yandex, VK and Device Makers
Yandex Gains, VK Loses a Default Voice Slot
The most consequential change on the 2027 smartphone and tablet list is the replacement of Marusya with Alisa AI. Pre-installation is a form of guaranteed distribution: a voice assistant placed on a new device at the factory starts with a significant usage advantage over rivals that must be downloaded. The decree therefore tilts the default voice-assistant position on new hardware toward Yandex and away from VK. This is an interpretation drawn from the named apps in the order; the government did not publish a rationale in the excerpts.
A Mandatory List Built Around Yandex’s Ecosystem
Yandex appears on the smartphone and tablet list through Yandex Browser, Yandex with Alisa, Alisa AI, Yandex Maps, 2GIS and Yandex Disk. Kaspersky Lab and MyOffice lock in the security and office-productivity slots, while VK retains VK, VK Video, Odnoklassniki, Mail.ru and Max. The effect is to give included companies a default presence on every compliant device sold in Russia, while foreign software is structurally excluded because the order requires Russian or EAEU origin. That makes the list a regulatory instrument for promoting domestic technology, not just a consumer convenience measure.
What Device Makers Face Before the Deadline
For manufacturers selling smartphones, tablets and computers in Russia, the January 1, 2027 effective date creates a concrete integration workload. Brands must negotiate preload agreements, package the listed applications with the correct Russian and EAEU versions, and carry out compatibility testing before devices ship. The change from the 2026 list also shows that the roster is revised annually, so vendors should treat it as a recurring compliance input rather than a one-time fix. The order itself does not specify penalties in the reported excerpt, but because the decree is mandatory, manufacturers should expect the list to be a condition for selling those product categories in Russia.
Steps for Device Makers and App Companies Before January 2027
The order gives the market a fixed deadline and a fixed roster; the practical work is to map it to product plans.
- Device makers selling smartphones, tablets or computers in Russia: schedule preload and compatibility work against the January 1, 2027 effective date, covering the 19 phone/tablet apps and the 3 computer apps named in the order.
- VK: with Marusya removed from the 2027 phone and tablet list, use the retained VK, VK Video and Odnoklassniki placements to route users to the assistant instead of relying on a pre-installed slot.
- Yandex: prepare Alisa AI for device-maker integration, since it is the only newly added voice assistant on the 2027 list and must ship pre-installed alongside Yandex with Alisa.
- App developers in Russia and the EAEU: confirm that software intended for future list rounds meets the Russian or EAEU origin requirement stated in the order.
- Retailers and importers: include the mandated preload list in supplier checks for 2027 production stock destined for Russia.
Risk & Opportunity Assessment
| Commercial Risk | Medium | Device makers must integrate a 19-app phone/tablet list and a 3-app computer list by January 1, 2027; the Marusya-to-Alisa AI swap adds new testing and licensing work. |
| Competitive Risk | Medium | The 2027 list removes VK’s Marusya from the mandatory voice-assistant slot and installs Yandex’s Alisa AI, shifting default distribution between two major Russian tech groups. |
| Regulatory Risk | Medium | The order is binding from January 1, 2027 and revises the 2026 list, so vendors face an annual regulatory cycle with limited lead time. |
| Reputation Risk | Low | No scandal is involved; the main reputational exposure is consumer annoyance at pre-installed software on new devices. |
| Technology Disruption | Low | The decree changes distribution and compliance, not the underlying technology; no new technical standards are introduced in the report. |
| Commercial Opportunity | Medium | Yandex, Kaspersky Lab, MyOffice, RuStore and other included apps gain guaranteed placement on every compliant device sold in Russia from 2027. |
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