The Sanchar Saathi App is meant as a telecom‑fraud protection tool in India — and yes, the government recently issued a directive requiring smartphone makers to pre‑install it. At the same time, the official line now says that the app remains “optional” for users and can be uninstalled.
Key Takeaways
- The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered every smartphone sold in India to ship with Sanchar Saathi pre-installed — visible and fully functional from setup.
- The app aims to help users verify device authenticity (IMEI), block/report lost or stolen phones, monitor SIM connections registered under their name, and report scam/fraud calls or messages.
- Major phone makers — including Apple and Samsung — are pushing back or evaluating compliance, citing privacy concerns and global policy conflicts.
- The government maintains the app is optional for end‑users.
What Exactly Is Sanchar Saathi — And Why It Matters
What the App Does
Launched in January 2025 by DoT.
- IMEI verification: Users can check if a handset is genuine or blacklisted.
- Stolen/lost‑phone blocking: You can mark a device as lost or stolen and block it across networks.
- SIM/connection tracking: View all mobile numbers registered under your name; helps detect unauthorized connections.
- Fraud reporting (“Chakshu”): Report suspicious calls, messages, spam or scam behaviours — including fraudulent calls claiming to be from banks, government, etc.
Given India’s massive user base — over 1.2 billion mobile users — DoT argues that steps like these are necessary to counter rampant telecom fraud, resale of stolen phones, fake IMEIs, and impersonation scams.
The New Mandate — What Changed (And When)
- On November 28, 2025, DoT issued a directive: all mobile phones (imported or manufactured for India) must come pre-loaded with Sanchar Saathi. Manufacturers must ensure:
- The app is visible and accessible during device setup.
- Its features cannot be disabled or restricted.
- Phones already on sale or in supply chains must receive the app via software updates.
- Manufacturers have 90 days to comply on new devices; compliance reports due within 120 days.
- For phones entering the market from March 2026 onward, Sanchar Saathi will effectively be part of the default software bundle.
Why Smartphone Makers Are Resisting
| Concern | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Global policy conflict | For brands like Apple, pre-installing a government‑mandated app can violate their global privacy/security standards. |
| Privacy & surveillance fears | If the app has deep access to device identifiers (IMEI, SIM data, call/SMS logs), critics worry it may allow government surveillance or unauthorized monitoring. |
| Loss of user consent/control | Turning a “tool” into a non-removable system component erodes users’ control over what’s on their personal device. |
| Lack of transparency | The directive was reportedly issued privately, with no public consultation or review of how data is managed — raising risks of misuse. |
As one legal‑privacy watchdog (the Internet Freedom Foundation, IFF) put it: making Sanchar Saathi undeletable means every phone becomes “a vessel for state‑mandated software that the user cannot meaningfully refuse or control.”
Why It’s Officially “Optional” — And What That Really Means
Public message from the government (via Jyotiraditya Scindia, Communications Minister): installing or keeping Sanchar Saathi is a user’s choice. You can delete it.
DoT says the app helps fight telecom fraud, but does not enable snooping, call‑tracking, or any data‑monitoring.
But the reality is ambiguous:
- The directive to OEMs required that the app be “readily visible” and “not disabled or restricted.”
- Privacy and digital rights groups argue that even if deletion is “allowed,” pre-installation — especially at system level — undermines user consent.
- Depending on how it’s installed (system‑level vs. user‑app level), uninstalling might just disable updates, not fully remove it — giving potential for the app to persist in some form.
So, in practice: yes — some users may successfully remove it; others may face barriers depending on device brand, model, or update behaviour.
What This Means for You (and Indian Smartphone Buyers)
- If you care about privacy — you should treat the pre-installation policy with caution. Installing the app may offer benefits, but at a potential cost of giving a state‑managed app access to your device identifiers/SIM data.
- If you buy a second‑hand or grey‑market phone — Sanchar Saathi’s IMEI‑check feature can help you avoid stolen or blacklisted devices. That’s a real, tangible benefit.
- If you rely on app‑store‑driven phone policies (e.g. iPhone ecosystem) — brands may push back, meaning compliance or functionality could vary depending on the handset and negotiations behind the scenes.
- If you trade in phones — the mandate may affect resale value, especially for phones with blacklisted IMEIs. Sanchar Saathi’s verification could reduce grey‑market flows of stolen devices.
Big Picture: What’s Really at Stake
This isn’t just about one “safety app.” It marks a shift in how governments can assert control over consumer devices — at the factory‑level. The tension between cybersecurity, fraud‑prevention, and privacy rights is playing out in real time, across India’s 1.2 billion mobile users.
📍 If pre‑installed apps like Sanchar Saathi become common, we may soon see more mandates: for messaging, for financial apps, for tracking, for OTT usage. Once the precedent is set, the boundary between user device and state‑regulated device begins to blur.
For users — that means making informed decisions. Know what you install, evaluate the trade‑offs, demand transparency.
FAQs
A: Yes — for smartphone manufacturers/importers. They must pre‑install it on all new phones sold in India, visible at setup.
A: The government says yes. Officials have clarified that the app is optional and can be removed by the user.
A: You can verify phone authenticity (IMEI), block or trace lost/stolen phones, monitor SIM connections under your name, and report scam/fraud calls or messages
