Government orders Sanchar Saathi on every new smartphone; Apple faces fresh clash

India’s telecoms ministry has ordered smartphone makers to preload a state-owned cyber security app on all new devices, a move that is likely to put the government at odds with Apple and privacy advocates.

The directive, issued privately on 28 November and seen by Reuters, requires manufacturers to ensure the Sanchar Saathi app is installed on all new smartphones within 90 days, and that users cannot disable it. The order also asks companies to push the app to devices already in the supply chain via software updates.

The move comes as India tackles a rise in cyber crime and hacking, joining other countries, most recently Russia, in setting rules to block the use of stolen phones for fraud and promote government-backed service apps.

The requirement covers major smartphone companies, including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi. Apple AAPL.O has previously clashed with the telecoms regulator over the development of a government anti-spam mobile app.

A lawyer specialising in technology matters said the latest order raises concerns.

“The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, who works on internet advocacy issues.

Privacy advocates had criticised a similar requirement in Russia in August for a state-backed messenger app called MAX to be pre-installed on phones.

India, one of the world’s largest mobile markets, has more than 1.2 billion subscribers. Government data shows that Sanchar Saathi, launched in January, has helped recover more than 700,000 lost phones, including 50,000 in October alone.

APPLE OFTEN REFUSES SUCH REQUESTS

The government has said the app is essential to combat “serious endangerment” of telecom cyber security caused by duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers that enable scams and network misuse.

Apple’s iOS powered about 4.5% of 735 million smartphones in India by mid-2025, according to Counterpoint Research. While Apple pre-installs its own apps on iPhones, its internal policies prohibit pre-installation of any government or third-party app before sale, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

“Apple has historically refused such requests from governments,” said Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint. “It’s likely to seek a middle ground: instead of a mandatory pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an option to nudge users towards installing the app.”

Apple, Google, Samsung and Xiaomi did not respond to requests for comment, and India’s telecoms ministry also did not respond.

The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), a 14- to 17-digit number unique to each handset, is widely used to cut off network access for stolen phones. Sanchar Saathi is designed to help users block and track lost or stolen devices across networks through a central registry, and identify and disconnect fraudulent mobile connections.

Since its launch, the app has recorded more than 5 million downloads. It has been used to block more than 3.7 million stolen or lost mobile phones, while more than 30 million fraudulent connections have been terminated. The government says it helps prevent cyber threats, assists police in tracking devices and keeps counterfeits out of the black market.

‘USERS FREE TO KEEP OR DELETE SANCHAR SAATHI’: SCINDIA

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday that users will be able to delete the Sanchar Saathi app, despite the government’s push for it to be pre-installed.

Users can decide to keep the Sanchar Saathi app or delete it, Scindia told reporters on Tuesday.

The Department of Telecom has directed manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets to ensure the fraud reporting app is pre-installed on all new devices and installed via a software update on existing handsets.

(With inputs from agencies)