India Mandates Sanchar Saathi App on All New Smartphones

In a major move to strengthen telecom security, the Government of India has ordered all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on every new smartphone sold in the country. The directive, issued by the Ministry of Communications, gives companies 90 days to comply.

According to information reported by Reuters, the app must remain on the phone and cannot be deleted or disabled. The order also requires manufacturers to push the app through a software update to devices already in the supply chain.

This decision marks one of India’s biggest steps toward tackling telecom fraud, spam calls, IMEI cloning, and mobile device misuse—issues that have been rising sharply across the country.

Sanchar Saathi is a government-backed cybersecurity and telecom safety app available on Android, iOS, and the web. It allows citizens to:

• Report suspected fraudulent calls, spam SMS, and malicious WhatsApp links

• Check how many mobile numbers are registered under their name

• Block a stolen or lost mobile handset

• Track the recovery status of a lost phone

• Report suspicious international calls spoofed with the Indian +91 country code

One of the app’s most important features is the ability to identify and report international calls disguised as Indian numbers, a tactic often used by scammers running illegal VoIP setups. The telecom ministry states that such illegal exchanges result in huge financial losses and pose risks to national security.

Since its launch in May 2023, Sanchar Saathi has gained significant traction. As per official statistics:

• 11.4 million+ installs across Android and iOS

• Major user base in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra

• 4.2 million+ lost devices blocked

• 2.6 million+ devices traced

• Over 723,000 phones successfully recovered

The app has become a key tool in stopping mobile device fraud, especially in India’s large second-hand smartphone market, where stolen or blacklisted devices are sometimes resold to unsuspecting buyers.

The Google Play Store listing shows that Sanchar Saathi requests several sensitive permissions, including:

• Reading and sending SMS

• Accessing call logs and phone identity

• Reading, modifying, and deleting files on device storage

• Taking photos and videos

• Reading device ID and related information

While these permissions are necessary for fraud reporting and verifying phone identity, privacy advocates argue that the app may have extensive access to user data.

The Ministry of Communications said that IMEI spoofing and cloned devices are becoming a serious threat. Duplicate or tampered IMEI numbers make it difficult for telecom networks to verify device identity. This leads to situations where the same IMEI appears in multiple locations at the same time, making investigations harder.

Authorities also highlight the growing number of cases where stolen phones are resold in the second-hand market. With Sanchar Saathi, buyers can check if a device is genuine and ensure they are not unknowingly purchasing a blacklisted handset.