Last month, it was reported that Apple would require to show a list of pre-approved apps by the state legislature to the users in Russia as a part of the first setup of the iPhone. The change is now live for iPhone users in Russia, as an App Store dialog box shows up while setting up an iPhone, regardless of the iOS version user is running.

Apple was required to comply with the change by 1st April, and now the change has been enabled from the server-side. After completing a normal iOS setup, users in Russia are straight directed to the App Store showing the list of special apps, which include some famous names like VK, Yandex Browser, and Yandex Maps.

It’s not mandatory for the user to install these apps, since the user can simply close the section, which is basically an App Store Story, by clicking the ‘X button. The change was first reported in 2019 when the Russian government threatened Apple to completely ban iPhone sales in the country if not complied with the change.

Here is how it looks in the actual setup. pic.twitter.com/QOUwwIGSnx

— Khaos Tian (@KhaosT) April 1, 2021

Apple is not giving the Russian government a special status and has asked that all the apps must comply with App Store Review guidelines. This basically means that the ‘special apps’ cannot include content that is not allowed in the App Store.

Apple released iOS 14.5 Beta 6 yesterday. New features introduced in the beta include two new Siri voices and a battery recalibration tool. More on the changes coming to the iPhone setup screen, iOS 14.5 now gives users an option to select the Siri voice as a part of the iPhone setup process.

We Want to Hear From You

If you’re in Russia, have you seen this change? Which of the pre-approved apps do you use the most? Let us know in the comments section below!