The Central government has issued a sweeping order that asked smartphone makers and importers to compulsorily pre-install Sanchar Saathi app on all the devices sold or made in India.
The order also extends to devices already sold or available in the market, according to the November 28 order issued by the department of telecommunications.
The DoT order will cover all the major smartphone makers, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo and the app once installed cannot be deleted or uninstalled from the device. The app, government claims, can help in locating and blocking lost phones, preventing fraud calls and messages, preventing duplication of phone numbers.
Moneycontrol also looked at how the current users have reviewed the app on Google Play Store.
The app has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 with over 50,000 reviews and more than 1 crore downloads so far. However, some of the reviews pointed out major flaws in the app.
One of the users said the app asks for verification using the same lost phone or select another number from drop down menu. The user said this was “impractical” and showed “weak logic”. “A more user-friendly and reliable solution should be implemented,” he said in his review.
Another user flagged similar concerns and said users will get another sim card with the same number, making the verification process redundant. In addition, the app has no mechanism for UAE based SIM cards.
A user pointed out that the app was not taking complaints after 6 or 7 pm, showing error or the information provided as invalid. “Scammers may invade any time, the app should take real-time complaints otherwise the very purpose is defeated,” the user remarked.
One more user highlighted that app is unable to resolve the issues raised in a time-bound manner. The person raised a complaint after he noted that his mobile number was linked to four other users. The user pointed out that even after 45 days, the case shows “still pending” and the numbers are still under “working condition”.
Sanchar Saathi rollout: Why the Centre's mandate has sparked a national privacy debate
A user also noted a major concept flaw in the app. The app claims to inform if there are multiple connections taken in your name without your consent. However, in this case, the user found out that the app will inform about other fraudulent connections only if they have also registered on Sanchar Saathi app. “Basically this is that daroga that tells me only about the thieves that walk into police station who confessed that they committed a crime. I don't know who thinks up of this beautiful use cases.”
Moreover, a user pointed out on X that the app could become a great tool for foreign agencies to collect the data of Indian citizens by exploiting government-made app’s vulnerabilities.
Several X users also asked if the app can be deleted when a person gives up their citizenship or moves to another country.
Opposition, experts raise concern
Several tech experts have also expressed deep concern over the move. Nikhil Pahwa, founder and editor of MediaNama, said the app can become a “government tracker” on mobile phones as it can’t be removed from the device. “India has never before required an unremovable state app on every device. Russia does btw, with its MAX Messenger (started September 2025).”
He also pointed out that such apps can be used to “implant files on your device”. “Won't happen to everyone, of course. But it could, where it matters,” Pahwa said.
The DoT order said that some of the messaging service apps have features that don’t require SIM to consume their services. This feature, the order said, is being “misused to commit cyber frauds”.
This has also sparked major privacy and surveillance concerns among political leaders, with several opposition party members terming the order as “Big Brother move” and an effort to turn “everything into dictatorship” in the country.
What the order says
The government defended the move saying, "mobile handsets bearing duplicate or spoofed IMEI poses serious endangerment to telecom cyber security".
The DoT statement said it had held “multiple discussions” with app-based communication service providers, following which the government issued the order to pre-install the cyber security app within the next three months.
Mandatory cybersecurity app: Global smartphone brands brace for clash over DoT directive
In addition, the department has also issued directions for mandatory SIM-binding and periodic logout from messaging apps ensure that every active account is anchored to a live, KYC‑verified SIM, restoring traceability of numbers used in phishing, investment, digital arrest and loan scams.
“With cyber‑fraud losses exceeding Rs 22,800 crore in 2024 alone, these uniform, enforceable directions under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules are a proportionate measure to prevent misuse of telecom identifiers, ensure traceability, and protect citizens’ trust in India’s digital ecosystem,” the DoT statement said.
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