India withdraws requirement to pre-install government app on smartphones following strong criticism

India has decided to abandon its plan to mandate smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government app on all devices. The move comes after widespread criticism and growing worries that the requirement could expand government access to personal devices and compromise user privacy.

On Wednesday, the Indian Ministry of Telecommunications announced that Sanchar Saathi, an app designed for anti-theft protection and cybersecurity, will remain optional for users. Smartphone makers are no longer obligated to include it on devices they sell.

This decision overturns a directive issued last week, which had instructed manufacturers to embed the app into all devices and prevent its features from being disabled. The initial announcement quickly sparked concerns about privacy and potential government overreach.

The telecom ministry stated, Given Sanchar Saathis growing adoption, the government has decided not to require pre-installation by mobile manufacturers. However, the official notice reflecting this change has not yet been issued to manufacturers, who are awaiting formal guidance.

Since its launch in January 2025, Sanchar Saathi has been downloaded 14 million times and contributes data on approximately 2,000 cyber-fraud cases daily, according to government figures. The recent controversy further increased interest in the app, with around 600,000 people registering to download it on December 2 alone.

The decision follows confusion over the apps voluntary status. Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had previously emphasized that users could delete the app at any time, even though the initial directive instructed manufacturers that the apps functions must not be disabled or restricted. These conflicting messages led to criticism that the government was downplaying the mandate.

Critics warned that forcing all smartphones to include a government app with non-disableable features would grant authorities extensive access to personal devices. Industry sources also questioned the practicality of enforcing a permanent system-level app without clear legal authority.

Deputy Telecom Minister Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar noted that Apple did not participate in the working group for the initiative, though other manufacturers were involved. As of November, Sanchar Saathi had over 3 million monthly active users, according to Sensor Tower, and web traffic has grown by more than 49% year-over-year.

The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights organization in New Delhi, welcomed the reversal but urged caution, highlighting that the legal framework accompanying the announcement has not yet been published. They stressed that cautious optimism is appropriate until revised guidance under the Cyber Security Rules, 2024 is formally issued and verified.

Meanwhile, other parts of the Sanchar Saathi system continue to expand. Platforms for device recommerce and trade-in must still validate devices using a central IMEI database, and the telecom ministry is piloting an API to allow these services to submit customer and device data directly to the government.

Author: Caleb Jennings