The key facts
- The Prux messenger works without the internet or a mobile network: smartphones pass messages directly to each other
- The project made the top 20 of the CASTIC competition in Xi'an among more than 800 participants from 27 countries and received the Unisoc Innovation Award
- Closed beta testing is underway; a full launch is planned for April–May 2027
Communication without a network
Vladislav Shumeyko, a tenth-grader from Nakhodka, has developed the Prux messenger, which allows users to exchange messages without the internet or a mobile network, the press service of the Primorsky Krai government reported press service of the Primorsky Krai government. The app's key feature is the AirPin technology, which lets smartphones pass messages directly to one another. If the recipient is far away, the information travels through other devices with Prux installed: every phone becomes an intermediate link in a kind of network. When there are no users nearby, the message is stored in the smartphone's memory and waits for a chance to be sent.
Who might find this useful
According to the developer's idea, the system will be useful for tourists on hikes, expedition participants, and people caught in an emergency. The limitation is obvious: to transmit over long distances, a chain of devices with the app installed is needed, meaning the network only works where there are other Prux users. This is the key practical nuance that distinguishes the project from ordinary communication — without a 'critical mass' of devices, a message will simply remain waiting in the phone's memory.
Not just a messenger
Prux is conceived as a digital ecosystem: besides the messenger, the schoolboy has created the Prux Mail email service, the Loud Music music service, the Red Panda app for learning Chinese, as well as a calendar, a crypto wallet, and tools for exchanging contacts. Vladislav became interested in programming as a child, started making his first own apps in the eighth grade, and works on the project on his own, learning the programming languages he needs as it develops.
Recognition and plans
The development was presented at the international CASTIC competition in Xi'an, China, where more than 800 participants from 27 countries competed: the project made the top 20, and its author received a special Unisoc Innovation Award. In addition, Vladislav became a prize-winner at the Russian 'Step into the Future' forum at Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Prux is currently undergoing closed beta testing; a full launch is planned for April–May 2027. Before that, the developer intends to verify the system's security and stability, and later to create an artificial intelligence that works without an internet connection.
