The app requires a wide range of permissions (on Android), including access to SMS, call logs, storage, camera, network access, etc. | Photo Credit: Dado Ruvic

On December 3, 2025, the central government revoked a recent directive from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that mandated all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on their devices to be sold in India. The move comes after intense pushback from the public, internet activists, the Opposition and even major manufacturers like Apple over privacy concerns and ‘surveillance attempts’.

What is Sanchar Saathi?

Launched in 2023 by the DoT, Sanchar Saathi is a portal/mobile app. A dedicated app version was released in January 2025. The app lets users report lost or stolen phones and block them; report suspected scam calls/SMS or suspicious mobile activity; check how many mobile connections are registered to their name; and verify if a handset is genuine (through its IMEI) to spot cloned/tampered devices.

The government had specifically cited “mobile handsets bearing duplicate or spoofed IMEI posing serious endangerment to telecom cyber security” as the main reason for which they have told phone makers to pre-install the app.

What was the DoT’s directive?

On November 28, the DoT issued a confidential order, invoking the Telecom Cyber Security rules, 2024, to all smartphone manufacturers and importers mandating that every new phone intended for use in India must come with Sanchar Saathi pre-installed, with a 90-day compliance window.

The govt’s directive also instructed that the app is easily accessible to users at the time of first use or device setup and that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted.

For existing devices, the order called for the app to be installed via software update.

The DoT said that the initiative is aimed at curbing misuse of telecom resources for cyber frauds and ensuring telecom cyber security.

How does the app work?

Users of the app can check whether a mobile device’s IMEI (or other device identifiers) is genuine or flagged/stolen/fake on the app.

Users can also see how many mobile connections (SIMs) are registered under their name. This helps people check for possible misuse (e.g. if someone has registered a SIM or connection using their identity without consent).

If a user’s phone is lost or stolen, they can report and block the device via Sanchar Saathi

The phone’s IMEI can be checked to see if the device is authentic, blacklisted, stolen, or reported as lost/stolen. This is reportedly useful in the case of second-hand devices.

It can also help in reporting fraudulent calls, text messages, or SIM misuse.

What were the objections from the Opposition, the industry and the public against this directive?

Digital rights groups such as the Internet Freedom Foundation argued that mandating a government-backed app undermines user consent as every phone effectively becomes a “vessel” for state-installed software “that the user cannot meaningfully refuse, control, or remove”.

The app requires a wide range of permissions (on Android), including access to SMS, call logs, storage, camera, network access, etc. It also does not provide a way to request data deletion. Activists warned that without strong guardrails and oversight, Sanchar Saathi could turn into a mechanism for mass state surveillance, threatening privacy and civil liberties.

A Reuters report mentioned that industry leader Apple was unlikely to comply with the directive, and will tell the government it does not follow such mandates anywhere in the world as they raise a host of privacy and security issues for the company’s iOS ecosystem.

How did govt respond after the backlash?

Following severe backlash and political furore, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on December 2 said that the Sanchar Saathi app is not mandatory and ‘entirely voluntary’.

“There is no snooping, no call monitoring. If you want, you can activate it. If you want to keep it on your phone, then keep it. If you want to delete it, you can delete it. It is entirely voluntary,” he said.

And on December 3, in a rare reversal, a press release from the Ministry of Communications confirmed the removal of mandatory pre-installation.

Published on December 5, 2025