Govt mandates cyber security app Sanchar Saathi on all new smartphones

India’s telecom ministry has issued a directive that requires every new smartphone sold in the country to come preloaded with the government’s cyber safety application Sanchar Saathi. 

Reuters reported that the order makes Sanchar Saathi a mandatory preinstalled app on all smartphones and states that users will not be allowed to delete it.

According to the report, the directive dated November 28 instructs phone makers including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi to complete the implementation within 90 days. For phones already in the distribution pipeline, companies have been asked to push the app to users through over the air updates.

Sanchar Saathi was introduced in January 2025 to help users track, block or recover lost and stolen devices. It uses a central database of IMEI numbers to detect fraudulent phone connections and prevent misuse of mobile networks. Data cited in the report shows that the platform has helped recover more than seven lakh lost devices and assisted authorities in identifying and shutting down about thirty million suspicious mobile connections.

The government says the mandate is aimed at controlling rising cases of cyber fraud. However, some experts quoted by Reuters warn that the step removes meaningful user choice and may open the door for deeper intervention in consumer devices. The report also notes that Apple has historically resisted preinstallation of government applications, which could lead to friction with regulators.