Centre directs pre-loaded Sanchar Saathi app on new phones, clarifies its optional amid privacy concerns

The Centre has directed all mobile phone manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on every new handset made or imported for use in India. The move, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said, is aimed at helping users verify device authenticity and report telecom-related fraud more easily.

According to guidelines issued on November 28, the app must be visible and accessible during the initial device setup, and its core functionalities cannot be restricted. Manufacturers have also been asked to push the app to devices already in the sales pipeline through software updates. Companies must complete implementation within 90 days and submit a compliance report within 120 days.

The Sanchar Saathi platform allows users to:

Verify handset genuineness via IMEI

Report fraudulent calls/messages

Report lost or stolen phones

Check mobile connections registered under their name

Access trusted contact details for banks and financial institutions

The DoT said the directive also follows concerns that some app-based communication platforms – such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Signal and others – allow users to operate accounts without a SIM card in the device, a loophole allegedly exploited for cyber fraud from outside India. The department has issued directions under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024, to address misuse of telecom identifiers.

App not mandatory

Amid criticism and privacy concerns, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified on Tuesday that the Sanchar Saathi app is not mandatory and users are free to delete it.

“If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional,” he told reporters, adding that the platform does not enable snooping or call monitoring.

Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had called the move a violation of privacy and a step toward “authoritarian governance.”

The government maintains that the initiative is focused on citizen safety, fraud prevention, and ensuring that consumers do not unknowingly buy counterfeit or illegally sourced mobile devices.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)