From Newsgroup: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

Apple has reportedly removed the Russian mobile browser Luna from the App Store, leaving iPhone users unable to download or update the app through Apple's store. Already installed versions of Luna continue to work normally, but the reason for the removal remains unknown. Neither Apple nor the browser's developer has publicly explained the decision.

Luna is a Russian browser positioned as a tool for safer and more convenient access to local online services. Its key feature is support for Russian security certificates issued through the Ministry of Digital Development, which can be important for accessing some Russian government, banking, and domestic web services. The browser also includes ad blocking, tracker filtering, unwanted-content filtering, and search integration with Yandex and Google.

The App Store developer is Innovative Development LLC, which it says is 99% owned by Multibonus. The browser has also been associated with online banking use cases, including access to VTB's web banking services, although iPhones.ru notes that VTB's personal account currently works through other browsers as well, including Safari.

The app remains available on Android. Its Google Play listing was still active during checks, showing more than 100,000 downloads, a 4.8 rating, and a March 25, 2026 update date. Google's listing describes Luna as a browser that blocks intrusive ads and pop-ups, protects against malicious content, supports Russian certificates, and includes features such as downloads, favorites, browsing history, reading mode, dark mode, text scaling, and address-bar customization.

Luna is also still listed in RuStore, where it has a 4.1 rating, more than 100,000 downloads, and version 1.11.0.r dated March 25, 2026. RuStore's description says the browser blocks ads and trackers and "will always open Russian sites" thanks to built-in Russian Ministry of Digital Development security certificates.

One important wrinkle: Apple's web listing for Luna was still accessible during research. The Russian App Store web page showed the app as free, rated 4.8 from 124,000 ratings, developed by Innovative Development LLC, and updated to version 6.7.3 three days earlier. The U.S. App Store web listing also remained visible and showed version 6.7.3. That suggests the situation may involve regional App Store availability, the ability to install/update from the iOS App Store app, or a change still propagating through Apple's systems, rather than a simple global disappearance from all Apple web listings.

The removal comes against a broader backdrop of Apple's complicated position in Russia. Novaya Gazeta Europe reported in March 2026 that Apple removed 190 apps from the Russian App Store between 2022 and 2024 at the request of Roskomnadzor, with 171 of those removals taking place in 2024 alone. However, there is currently no public evidence that Luna's reported App Store removal was requested by Russian authorities or tied to that same process.

For users, the immediate impact appears limited if Luna is already installed: existing copies reportedly continue to function. The bigger issue is future support. If the app cannot be downloaded or updated on iPhone, users may lose access to bug fixes, security patches, and compatibility updates. Android users are not affected for now, since Luna remains available through Google Play and RuStore.

For now, the story remains unresolved. Luna has not disappeared from every public Apple web page, but Russian tech outlets report that it can no longer be downloaded or updated through the App Store on iPhone. Until Apple or the developer comments, the cause of the removal remains unclear.
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Via JLA Forums web gateway for misc.phone.mobile.iphone: http://www.jlaforums.com/viewforum.php?f=367
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