Indian govt orders Apple, Samsung, others to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones: Report

The Indian government has reportedly taken a major step to strengthen cybersecurity by directing smartphone manufacturers to preload the Sanchar Saathi cyber safety app on all new devices within 90 days.

Reuters reported that the Ministry of Communications has issued a formal order to Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and other phone makers, asking them to ensure the app is installed before the phones are sold. Users will not be able to delete the app.

Sanchar Saathi is designed to help curb rising cases of phone fraud. It lets users verify IMEI numbers, report suspicious calls, and block lost or stolen phones through a central portal.

The government said the app has already helped recover more than seven lakh lost phones and has detected large-scale fraud linked to duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers. In October alone, the platform helped trace fifty thousand missing devices.

Manufacturers have been given a 90 day window to comply. Devices already in the supply chain will receive the app through software updates. The directive is expected to raise concerns among privacy advocates and some companies, especially Apple, which normally pre-installs only its own applications.

Apple holds a 4.5% share of India’s smartphone market of about 735 million devices and its internal policy discourages preinstallation of government or third-party apps.

Alongside the Sanchar Saathi mandate, the Department of Telecommunications has issued new rules for communication platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal. These apps must ensure continuous binding between a user’s SIM card and the device on which the app is registered. The rule bars the app from functioning if the SIM used for registration is removed from the device.

For apps that allow multi-device use, the DoT has asked companies to log out companion devices every six hours. Users will need to re-login using a QR code. This is meant to prevent misuse of telecom identifiers and reduce fraud that exploits linked devices. All telecom identifier user entities have been asked to comply and submit detailed reports within 120 days.