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The government's latest directive to all smartphone makers to pre-install its cybersecurity app on every new phone has rekindled the debate on user privacy. Sanchar Saathi is the Indian government’s official telecom cyber-safety app that helps people block lost or stolen phones, spot fraudulent mobile connections, and report scam calls and messages. Developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), it extends the existing Sanchar Saathi portal into a mobile app and is now at the centre of the parliamentary debate.

What Sanchar Saathi actually does

Sanchar Saathi is designed as a “citizen-centric” security tool that plugs directly into government telecom databases. Once installed and linked to your mobile number, it lets you:

• Block and trace lost or stolen phones: You can request network-wide blocking of a device using its IMEI (the unique hardware ID every phone has), so it can’t be used on any Indian operator even with a new SIM. If someone tries to use the blocked phone, the system can generate trace information for law enforcement.​
• See all mobile connections in your name: The app lists every SIM registered with your identity, helping you spot unauthorised or fraudulently opened numbers and request their disconnection. This is meant to curb SIM-based fraud and identity theft.​
• Verify if a phone is genuine: Using the “Know Your Mobile” feature, you can check a device’s IMEI against official records to see if it’s genuine, reported stolen, or flagged—useful when buying used phones.​
• Report scam calls and messages (Chakshu): Through the Chakshu module, you can directly flag suspected fraud via calls, SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram and other apps—phishing links, fake job offers, loan scams, OTP cons, malicious APKs and more. These reports feed into government systems that disable numbers, block bulk SMS senders and work with platforms to crack down on abuse.​

Why the government says it’s important

The DoT pitches Sanchar Saathi as a front-line tool against telecom fraud, phone theft and IMEI spoofing:

• Telecom security: Authorities warn of “serious endangerment” to telecom networks from cloned or spoofed IMEIs, which can hide stolen devices, bypass blacklists and enable large-scale scams. Tying users, devices and SIMs more tightly together and making it easy for citizens to flag problems is supposed to reduce that risk.​
• Measurable impact: Government figures say the broader Sanchar Saathi system has blocked or helped trace lakhs of devices and terminated crores of fraudulent mobile connections, while the app itself has crossed millions of downloads and registrations.​
• One-stop fraud desk: Instead of juggling operator helplines, police stations and bank hotlines, users can start with Sanchar Saathi to block devices, report suspicious communication and get official, “trusted” contact details for banks and key services.​

Why it’s suddenly in the news

In late November, the telecom ministry quietly ordered all major smartphone makers, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, OnePlus and others, to ship every new phone with Sanchar Saathi preloaded, with no option for users to uninstall or disable it. For devices already in the supply chain, brands have been told to push the app via software updates. The directive gives companies 90 days to comply and has not been published in full, but has been widely reported based on internal communications.​

This changes Sanchar Saathi from an optional app (currently available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store) into a de facto default system app on new phones in India, visible out of the box and permanently present.​

Privacy and control concerns

Digital rights advocates and some legal experts argue that mandating a non-removable government app raises important questions:

• User consent: When an app is preinstalled and cannot be uninstalled, users effectively lose meaningful consent over whether to participate in that system. Critics say this flips the usual opt-in model on its head.​
• Precedent: Sanchar Saathi’s current functions are focused on fraud and device security, but making one government app compulsory could make it easier to justify similar mandates in future—for health, ID, finance or other domains—without robust public debate.​
• Data handling: While DoT says the app is a telecom-security measure, civil society groups want clearer guardrails on what data is collected, how long it’s retained, and how it can be shared with other agencies.​

What users should know

If you buy a new phone in India in the coming months, you should expect:

• Sanchar Saathi to appear pre-installed and likely non-removable.​
• A setup or login flow that links it to your number and lets you see your registered connections and device status.