Centre Withdraws Direction For Mandatory Pre-Installation Of Sanchar Saathi App In Mobile Phones

The Government of India has withdrawn its direction mandating the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi cyber safety application on all mobile phones manufactured or imported in the country. The rollback comes a day after the original decision, which led to widespread concerns and criticism.

The direction for pre-installation of the app was issued invoking Rule 8(4) of the Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Rules, 2024. In a press release issued by the PIB today, the Government said that it has decided not to make pre-installation mandatory due to the "increasing acceptance" of the app.

According to the government, the Sanchar Saathi app was conceived as a citizen-centric cybersecurity tool aimed at protecting users from online fraud and other malicious activities. It stressed that the app is secure, has no functions beyond safeguarding users, and can be removed by them at any time. The initiative, they said, was intended to promote “Jan Bhagidari” by enabling citizens to report cyber fraud and bad actors in real time.

The app has already seen significant public adoption. The government stated that 1.4 crore users have downloaded Sanchar Saathi so far, collectively contributing information on nearly 2,000 fraud incidents every day. The surge in usage has intensified in recent days, with six lakh new registrations recorded in the last 24 hours alone, marking a tenfold increase in daily uptake.

This sharp rise, the Centre said, reflects the growing trust of citizens in the tool and its utility in safeguarding them from cyber threats.  "Given Sanchar Saathi's increasing acceptance, the Government has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers," the Government said in its PIB release.

The app will continue to remain available for download to all users across the country.