Privacy Alert: India Mandates Undeletable Sanchar Saathi App on All New Smartphones

According to Reuters, the Indian government has informed major smartphone manufacturers that they must preinstall the government-developed Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices, and that the software cannot be removed. The Ministry of Communications developed the app, which is designed to combat fraud and cybercrime and to provide an extra layer of security, including verifying IMEI authenticity and preventing devices with forged identifiers from operating.

On first opening the app or during initial device setup, users will be notified of its preinstallation, and the app’s data collection functions are effectively mandatory since it cannot be uninstalled or disabled. Features listed by the app include allowing users to report suspected fraud, tracking lost or stolen devices, verifying device authenticity, and reporting international spam calls.

While Android devices are the primary target for preinstallation, Apple has not agreed to mandatory preloads on iOS, and may instead inform users about the app and allow voluntary installation. 2 December 2025.