Various Russian media reported Apple agreed to allow domestic apps to be pre-installed on iPhones and other devices for the first time, as the nation prepares to implement laws which would ban products without local options.

The move appears to allay fears Apple could quit the country, reported when Russia passed the legislation in late 2019.

At the time, the government aimed to implement the rules in July 2020, but postponed until 1 April after the Russian Association of Trading Companies and Manufacturers of Household Electrical Equipment and Computers (RATEK) said its members considered it impossible to meet the original deadline.

The latest reports state Apple agreed to offer users the option to install domestic apps including email service Mail.ru, social media platform VKontakte and Kaspersky Lab antivirus software. The vendor is also said to be exploring the creation of a bundle of Russian services in its App Store.

While Apple users will be able to choose whether to configure the Russian software, those using rival operating system Android will reportedly lack such an option and the services will come pre-installed on their devices.