Samsung removes AdGuard VPN from Galaxy Store in Russia at government’s request

UPD: On May 16, 2025, a day after Samsung notified us that the app was being removed, Xiaomi International App Store (GetApp) announced the same.

AdGuard VPN has become inaccessible for users of the Samsung Galaxy Store in Russia. This is the result of Samsung’s decision to remove the app from the Russian version of the store at the Russian government’s request.

The notice we received from Samsung

Ironically, this move coincides with what would have been our app’s one-year anniversary on the Galaxy Store this month — a milestone we were looking forward to celebrating.

While Apple has a documented history of complying with government demands to remove VPN apps — including in China, India, and Russia — this is the first time we've seen similar action from Samsung, a South Korean company.

Unfortunately, it now appears that Samsung is also beginning to comply with such requests, raising significant concerns about global corporate compliance with governmental censorship.

“Our app has indeed been removed from the Samsung Store in Russia — a regrettable development, in our view. We see this as part of a broader trend of restricting access to tools that help people protect their privacy and maintain access to an open internet. Despite this, we continue to operate through other channels and are actively looking for ways to remain accessible to our users.”
— Denis Vyazovoy, CPO of AdGuard VPN

We believe this development deserves wider attention, particularly as access to privacy-preserving tools becomes increasingly politicized around the world. This incident is part of a worrying pattern — one where governments push for control over digital privacy tools, and tech companies, under pressure, comply. We remain committed to providing access to a secure, uncensored internet for everyone, regardless of location.

What options are left for users in Russia?

Samsung Galaxy devices run on the Android operating system, which allows for more flexibility when it comes to installing apps. Even though AdGuard VPN has been removed from the Galaxy Store in Russia, Russian users can still sideload the app (.apk file). We strongly recommend downloading it directly from our official website, where users can be sure they’re getting the latest and safest version.

Unfortunately, this flexibility is not available to iOS users. Apple does not allow sideloading of apps on iPhones or iPads. This makes it much more difficult for iOS users to access VPN apps once they’ve been removed from the App Store in a given region.