The Government of India has withdrawn its earlier directive that required all smartphones sold in the country to come with the Sanchar Saathi app pre-installed, just five days after issuing the mandate on November 28, following widespread public debate and feedback from industry stakeholders.
Why the Sanchar Saathi App Matters
The Sanchar Saathi app was introduced with the intention of giving every citizen easy access to essential cybersecurity tools. Its primary purpose is to help users stay safe from fraudsters, scammers, and other cyber threats. Key features of this app include:
- Secure and user-safe design with no functions beyond cybersecurity protection.
- Easy fraud reporting, enabling citizens to act as partners in strengthening national cyber safety.
- Full user control, including the ability to uninstall the app anytime.
- Government clarification that the app does not perform any unwanted actions or collect unnecessary data.
Impact and Public Response
In a short period of time, Sanchar Saathi has seen significant adoption:
- 1.4 crore+ users have already downloaded the app.
- Citizens are contributing information on nearly 2,000 fraud incidents per day.
- In the last 24 hours alone, 6 lakh new users registered, marking a 10× surge in downloads.
- This rapid growth shows that citizens are placing strong trust in the app’s purpose and functionality.
Reason Behind Issuing the Mandate
The initial mandate for pre-installation aimed to:
- Accelerate awareness about the app
- Make cybersecurity tools accessible to less tech-aware citizens
- Boost adoption to strengthen national digital safety
However, with usage rising organically and public confidence already visible, the Government has decided that mandatory pre-installation is no longer required.
What This Means for Users
- The app remains optional, and users can install it anytime from official app stores.
- Current users can continue benefiting from fraud protection and reporting tools.
- The Government will keep promoting the app for broader cybersecurity awareness.