'Sanchar Saathi' App Explained: All You Need to Know About the Govt Mandate

The central government has directed all smartphone companies operating in India to preinstall the Sanchar Saathi mobile application on every new phone sold in the country. The app, developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is designed to help users report fraud calls, suspicious messages, and track stolen phones. According to officials, once the app is installed, users should not be able to delete or disable it. Phones already sold will also receive the app through upcoming software updates.

For now, Sanchar Saathi has been available as a regular app that anyone could choose to download. But with this new directive, it will now become a permanent fixture on every smartphone in India, Android and iPhone alike.

About Sanchar Saathi: Features and Functions

Sanchar Saathi serves as a one-stop platform for mobile-related safety issues. Through the app, users can check how many mobile numbers are registered in their name, block or trace a lost phone, and flag suspicious communication. The app’s “Chakshu” feature is meant specifically for reporting calls or messages that appear fraudulent, such as fake bank alerts, impersonation of government officials, fake investment schemes, or messages trying to steal personal data. However, users are advised not to file cybercrime complaints here; those still must go through official cybercrime portals.

Apart from warning about scams, Chakshu also allows users to report dangerous links, phishing attempts, shady APK files, and harmful messages sent through SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage or any other platform. Users receiving spam calls or promotional messages against their preference can also report them through the app.

Tracking and Blocking Lost Devices

Sanchar Saathi also helps track and block lost or stolen devices. It uses the phone’s IMEI number, a unique 15-digit identity code that every phone carries. Once a phone is reported stolen, the app enables authorities to block it from being used on any network in the country. If the device is switched on with a different SIM card, its location trace is generated, and users can later unblock the phone through the same app once it is recovered.

The government believes the app is crucial to addressing phone-related frauds and rising cases of IMEI tampering, where criminals clone or alter the identity number of a stolen device to avoid detection. With India being one of the world’s biggest markets for second-hand phones, officials say mandatory installation will help prevent people from unknowingly buying stolen or blacklisted devices.

Smartphone makers were informed of this new requirement on November 28. Companies have been asked to ensure the app is active as soon as the phone is switched on for the first time, and that users cannot turn off any of its safety features. An industry source said that rolling out the app via software updates could eventually reach more than 735 million existing users in India.

The app has already seen large-scale adoption. Government data shows it has more than one crore downloads and has helped block over 42 lakh stolen or lost phones so far. Authorities also claim it has played a role in shutting down more than three crore fake mobile connections used for scams.

Privacy Concerns and Data Access Issues

While the government says Sanchar Saathi only asks for permissions required to carry out its functions, its data access, particularly on Android devices, has raised questions. Android users may be asked for access to call logs, messaging functions, cameras, and files. iPhone users will be asked for permission to access photos and camera features in certain cases.

Apple has reportedly expressed concerns about possible privacy vulnerabilities, especially as it has much stricter app restrictions on iOS. In India, more than 95% of smartphones run on Android, while the rest are Apple devices. Reports indicate that Apple does not intend to comply with the directive and will communicate its objections to New Delhi, saying it does not follow such mandates anywhere else due to security concerns.

The move has triggered political and public debate. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have called the decision unconstitutional and demanded that the government withdraw the order. Digital rights groups have also criticised the mandate. The Internet Freedom Foundation said it would continue to campaign against the decision, arguing that making the app compulsory goes against user rights and could set a worrying precedent.

Amid the escalating political uproar, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said the app was part of a “voluntary and democratic system,” adding that users can choose to activate it and are free to delete it “at any time.” Currently, the app can be removed by users, though Scindia stopped short of clarifying how this aligns with the confidential order requiring compulsory preloading.

Tech experts have warned that even if the app is deleted by the user, it may still have access to call logs, messages, camera, and files because the permissions were granted when the app was pre-installed.

Also Read: Apple Warns iPhone Users Worldwide of Pegasus Spyware Threat