Government Withdraws Order Making ‘Sanchar Saathi’ Pre-Installation Mandatory on Smartphones
New Delhi | December 3, 2025 | DeccanLive.com
The Government of India on Wednesday (3 December) withdrew its order that made it mandatory for mobile manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cyber security app on all new smartphones.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said it reviewed its decision after witnessing a 10-fold increase in voluntary downloads within just one day. According to officials, nearly 6 lakh users downloaded the app in the last 24 hours alone.
The DoT explained that the earlier mandate was meant to help less-aware users access the app easily and strengthen mobile security. However, seeing the fast-growing acceptance of the app, the government decided that mobile companies will no longer be required to pre-install Sanchaar Saathi on devices.
The withdrawn order, issued on November 28, had instructed smartphone makers to install the app on all new phones and send it to older devices through software updates.
The initial directive had sparked criticism from opposition leaders, who raised concerns about potential surveillance and alleged that the app could listen to calls or monitor messages. The government has dismissed these fears, stressing that the app is designed only to protect users from fraud and cyber threats.
