Sanchar Saathi: India Mandates Cyber Safety App on Smartphones

Sanchar Saathi has become a requirement for every new smartphone sold in India due to a directive from the country’s telecom ministry. As reported by Reuters, this order mandates that Sanchar Saathi is to be preinstalled on all devices and users will be unable to remove it.

The directive, issued on November 28, instructs manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi to implement this change within a span of 90 days. For existing devices that are already in the distribution pipeline, companies are expected to roll out the app to users via over-the-air updates.

About Sanchar Saathi

Sanchar Saathi was introduced in January 2025 with the intention of assisting users in tracking, blocking, or recovering lost or stolen devices. It utilises a central database of IMEI numbers to identify fraudulent phone connections and curb the misuse of mobile networks. Data from the report indicates that this platform has successfully recovered over seven lakh lost devices and has aided authorities in identifying and disabling around thirty million suspicious mobile connections.

Government’s Intentions and Expert Concerns

The government claims that this mandate is aimed at combating the increasing incidents of cyber fraud. However, several experts quoted by Reuters have raised concerns that this move limits user choice significantly and could lead to more intrusive measures regarding consumer devices.

Additionally, it is noted in the report that Apple has traditionally been resistant to the preinstallation of government applications, which may create tension with regulatory bodies.