India has withdrawn its mandate to pre-install a state-run cybersecurity app on smartphones after backlash from Apple, privacy advocates, and political opposition over surveillance fears, Reuters is reporting.
The app in question is called Sanchar Saathi. The earlier mandate from India’s Department of Telecommunications had required every new mobile phone sold in the country to arrive with Sanchar Saathi already installed.
The directive reportedly applied to all major handset makers including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and others, and threatened penalties or compliance demands for devices already in stores through software updates.
According to the directive issued on November 28 2025 the, pre-installed app was to assist users in verifying the authenticity of their device via its IMEI number, report lost or stolen phones, and flag suspicious telecom connections or fraud attempts. The objective stated by the government was to curb fraud, prevent misuse of blacklisted devices and strengthen overall mobile device security.
As soon as news of the directive became public, there was intense pushback from multiple quarters. Opposition politicians and privacy activists denounced the move as a potential threat to personal privacy and digital freedoms. Critics argued that forcing a state-controlled app onto all handsets without user consent was tantamount to government surveillance over citizens’ devices.
International smartphone manufacturers also reacted. Apple reportedly informed Indian authorities that it would refuse to comply with the mandate. Company sources said Apple aims to preserve the integrity of its global device ecosystem and does not accept forced pre-installation of government apps.
Facing wide scale condemnation and potential legal and reputational consequences the government reevaluated the policy. On December 3 2025 the Ministry of Communications issued a statement withdrawing the mandate to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on all smartphones.
The retraction has been welcomed by civil society groups and many industry stakeholders as a win for user choice and digital privacy. Some technology policy observers see it as a rare instance where public pressure successfully pushed the government to back down.
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