Record
On February 9, Rossgram developers announced on their official Telegram channels that the app would appear on RuStore. Access to the beta was limited to 10,000 users. Android users could try the local social network by downloading the Rossgram client from RuStore, while iPhone users could participate through the TestFlight testing service.
Representatives from Rossgram reported that access to the recording closed after just 15 hours, as 10,000 users had joined. Afterward, the app disappeared from RuStore, with the assumption that it had been hidden to avoid upsetting those who downloaded it and would be denied access.
When opening Rossgram on desktop, signed as “rossgram” in Latin, users see a flat banner that reads “Time to go home.”
This banner appears to be a nudge toward Instagram users, since the owner of Meta is regarded as extremist and banned in Russia. Rossgram’s team describes this as “not allowed.”
The sign-up process is unusually and repeatedly glitchy. After a user entered a number, the platform failed several times. The next attempt finally completed the record action.
Remembering the password at this stage is crucial, as the app often logs users out. When attempting password recovery, an error occurs. It is suggested to change the password by phone number, and only after that does a message stating “Exceeded maximum number of users” appear. The exact password-recovery pathway remains unclear, and the option to recover an alias is mentioned but not fully explained.
Application
On the homepage, the main feed greets users with a straightforward stream: no advertisements, no recommendations—only posts from those followed and the user’s own content.
It is immediately evident that Rossgram does not offer Stories, a feature common on many networks, at least in the current version. The app does not support video uploads in the native interface; it only handles photos, echoing early Instagram from the 2010s.
The navigation bar includes five tabs: Publish, Suggestions, Create, Actions and Profile. The layout mirrors Instagram, but unlike many Western services, there is no visible recommendation algorithm. Posts appear in a random order for each user. A section named Setting Interests within the profile lets users refine content discovery, selecting categories like Technology and Tools. However, after setting these interests, the feed did not visibly adapt according to one tester’s observations.
Publishing is intentionally simple. The built-in editor offers rotate and crop functions and angle adjustments, with no filters available at this stage.
Rossgram has a few redeeming points. First, users do not need to follow others to receive initial subscribers and likes. Within minutes of registration, the tester received dozens of follows and a first like on a post. Many of these interactions appear to originate from groups such as Humor, Jokes, Memes, and regional pages, likely as a strategy to attract attention and engagement.
Another notable feature is the option to export Instagram posts to Rossgram. The process involves contacting technical support, which provides detailed guidance and even a short instructional video created on a laptop. The guidance is clear, even if the video quality is modest, making the steps understandable.
There is also a curious option in profile settings that asks, “How should I address you?” with choices like “Dear,” “Dear Friend,” or “I prefer not to say,” offering an unconventional approach to gender presentation.
Among the drawbacks, the app’s posting speed is slow and there are no enforced photo standards. Users can upload images in 1:1, 4:3, and 16:9 formats, which creates a visually uneven feed at times.
The platform includes a “Share post” button; however, sharing a link instead of the image often results in an “Invalid Dynamic Link” error for recipients.
To replace Instagram?
Rossgram’s developers promised a Russian alternative to Instagram, but the project has not delivered a definitive replacement at this stage.
For many, it is more convenient to create a Telegram channel or rely on Instagram alternatives rather than the Rossgram concept itself.
Shortly after Instagram was blocked in Russia, two other notable options emerged: Now and Sadnogram. The former mirrors much of Western social media functionality, while the latter, Grustnogram, adds a distinctive feature called “depressed soul”—a black-and-white filter paired with the slogan “Social network for sad.”