Russia officially released the domestic app store, responding to Google

NashStore (an application similar to Google Play) developed by the non-profit organization Digital Platforms was officially available on May 16.

Like Google Play, NashStore users must create an account to log in and download resources from the app, according to information published by NashStore on Telegram.

Android users in Russia can now download and install the app from the NashStore homepage. So far, more than 1,000 apps are available in the NashStore, including state-owned banking apps Sberbank and Wink, the movie streaming service. In addition, there are applications of businesses that are sanctioned or withdrawn from Russia.

The number of applications available on the NashStore is relatively modest compared to the more than 2 million apps on the App Store and more than 3 million apps on Google Play.

NashStore allows users to download RuTube, an alternative to YouTube in Russia. Previously, RuTube was hacked, resulting in the website crashing and the source code possibly severely compromised. The international hacker group Anonymous is believed to have carried out this attack.

NashStore is co-developed by 700 companies in Russia. As expected, the application was launched on Victory Day 9/5 but for some reason the release was slower than expected.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin tasked the Ministry of Digital Development, Media and Mass Communication to open a domestic application store for mobile devices by June 1.

He thinks it is necessary because the App Store and Google Play can limit the ability of Russian users to download apps and require Russian developers to create a domestic ecosystem, completely independent of platforms from the West

The Ministry of Finance of Russia states that NashStore does not receive any funding from the budget of the Russian Federation.

Thai Hoang (Synthetic)