Техподдержка сказала, что проблема была в приложении.

Техподдержка means technical support or tech support.

It is a shortened, very common everyday form of техническая поддержка. Russian often shortens multi-word expressions like this in casual and neutral speech.

So:

• техническая поддержка = full form, more formal
• техподдержка = shorter, common, natural in everyday use

In this sentence, it refers to the support team or support service as a single unit.

Because техподдержка is grammatically feminine.

The word поддержка is feminine, and техподдержка keeps that gender. In the past tense, Russian verbs agree with gender in the singular:

• сказал = masculine
• сказала = feminine
• сказало = neuter
• сказали = plural

So:

• Техподдержка сказала = Tech support said

Even though tech support may refer to a group of people, grammatically the noun is singular feminine, so the verb must be сказала.

Что here means that and introduces the content of what was said.

So the structure is:

• Техподдержка сказала = Tech support said
• что проблема была в приложении = that the problem was in the app

This is a very common pattern in Russian:

• Он сказал, что... = He said that...
• Она думает, что... = She thinks that...
• Я знаю, что... = I know that...

In English, that is often optional, but in Russian что is usually expressed.

Because проблема is the subject of the subordinate clause, so it is in the nominative case.

In что проблема была в приложении, the thing being talked about is the problem. It is the thing that was somewhere.

So:

• проблема = nominative singular
• была agrees with it
• в приложении tells where the problem was

If you changed проблема to another case, the grammar would no longer fit this sentence structure.

Была is the past tense of быть (to be) in the feminine singular form.

It agrees with проблема, which is a feminine noun.

Compare:

• проблема была = the problem was
• вопрос был = the question was
• окно было = the window was
• ошибки были = the errors were

Also, in Russian the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense, but in the past tense it is used:

• Проблема в приложении. = The problem is in the app.
• Проблема была в приложении. = The problem was in the app.

Because after в meaning in, Russian uses the prepositional case when talking about location.

Here, the sentence means the problem was in the application/app, so this is a location idea, not movement.

Base form:

• приложение = application, app

Prepositional singular:

• в приложении = in the application / in the app

Compare:

• в приложении = in the app
• в доме = in the house
• в машине = in the car

If there were movement into something, Russian would usually use the accusative instead:

• в приложение = into the application

But that is not what is happening here.

Because приложение is a neuter noun ending in -ие, and in the prepositional singular that ending changes to -ии.

So:

• nominative: приложение
• prepositional: в приложении

This pattern is very common with nouns ending in -ие:

• здание → в здании
• решение → в решении
• сообщение → в сообщении

So в приложении is exactly what you should expect from this noun type.

Yes, приложение can mean either:

• application / app
• attachment (for example, in an email)
• sometimes even appendix or supplement, depending on context

But in this sentence, because we have проблема была в приложении and the speaker is tech support, the natural meaning is the problem was in the app / in the application.

So context tells you which meaning is intended.

Yes, literally it is the problem was in the app.

In natural English, depending on context, you might translate it as:

• The problem was in the app.
• The issue was with the app.
• The app was the source of the problem.
• The problem was on the app’s side.

Russian often uses в in places where English may prefer a less literal phrasing like with or on the side of.

So the Russian is straightforward, but the best English translation may vary depending on tone and context.

Yes, but the meaning would change from past to present/general.

• Техподдержка сказала, что проблема была в приложении.
  = Tech support said that the problem was in the app.

• Техподдержка сказала, что проблема в приложении.
  = Tech support said that the problem is in the app.

Russian normally omits есть in the present tense, so проблема в приложении already means the problem is in the app.

So была is there specifically to show past time.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible, but the original order is the most neutral and natural here:

• Техподдержка сказала, что проблема была в приложении.

You could change the order for emphasis, for example:

• Техподдержка сказала, что в приложении была проблема.

This version puts slightly more focus on в приложении. It can sound like you are emphasizing where the problem was.

In many cases both are possible, but the original is the safest default for learners.

Russian has no articles like a/an/the.

So:

• проблема can mean a problem or the problem
• приложение can mean an app or the app

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, context makes it natural to understand:

• проблема = the problem
• в приложении = in the app

This is completely normal in Russian.

The main verb сказала is from сказать, which is perfective. That means it presents the act of saying as a completed whole: tech support said.

This is the normal choice when reporting that someone made a statement.

Compare:

• говорила = was saying / used to say / spoke
• сказала = said

In this sentence, сказала is exactly what you would expect, because the speaker is reporting one completed statement from tech support.

Yes, but that is not exactly the same nuance.

• проблема была в приложении = the problem was in the app, inside the app itself, the app was the source/location of the issue
• проблема была с приложением = the problem was with the app

The second version is a bit broader and can sound less specific. It may simply mean the app was causing trouble. The original sentence sounds more like tech support identified the app itself as the place where the issue existed.

So both can work in some contexts, but they are not perfectly interchangeable.