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The UIDAI and the Central Government have decided, for the time being, not to proceed with the plan to pre-install the Aadhaar app on smartphones. This means that Apple, Samsung, and other smartphone manufacturers will no longer be under any obligation to ship their devices with the Aadhaar app pre-installed. Some time ago, reports had surfaced indicating that the government wished for the Aadhaar app to be pre-loaded on smartphones sold in India, thereby facilitating greater ease for users regarding services such as identity verification, banking, telecom services, and airport entry.

Aadhaar is one of the most widely used identity documents in India, with approximately 1.34 billion people possessing its unique 12-digit ID number.
According to reports, the UIDAI had requested the Ministry of IT in January to engage with Apple, Google, and other smartphone manufacturers to explore the feasibility of pre-installing the Aadhaar app on their devices. However, the Ministry of IT has now declined to approve this proposal.

What would have happened had this gone through?
It is reported that smartphone manufacturers had opposed this proposal. They argued that such a move could potentially compromise device security and software compatibility. Furthermore, the companies would have been required to establish separate manufacturing lines specifically for the Indian market, which would have resulted in increased production costs. Apple and Samsung, in particular, had voiced concerns regarding security and user privacy.

The government, too, has acknowledged that it is not necessary to pre-install every government-issued application on smartphones. According to a senior official, the Ministry of IT favors the pre-loading of only those applications that are deemed truly essential. Consequently, for the time being, users will have to download the Aadhaar app themselves.

This marks the sixth instance in the last two years where the government has attempted to have a government-issued application pre-installed on smartphones; however, on each occasion, the move faced opposition from the industry. This time as well, taking into account the views of the manufacturers and the technical concerns raised, the government decided to step back. This decision comes as a relief to smartphone manufacturers.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from News18 Hindi. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.