Galaxy Phones in India Might Come With a Pre-Installed Government App [U]

Update: India’s Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, has clarified that the Sanchar Saathi app will be optional. This means users will be free to uninstall it even if it comes preloaded on smartphones sold in the country. The previous DoT order had stated that the app should be made non-removable. More details here. The original reporting, as published on 12/1, follows below.

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced that every new smartphone sold in the country must ship with the Sanchar Saathi app pre-installed. The rule covers all major brands, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo. The government has given phone makers 90 days to roll out the change and 120 days to file a full compliance report.

India’s DOT orders phone makers to ship phones with Sanchar Saathi pre-installed

The government says the mandatory installation will help cut down on mobile scams, make it easier to trace stolen devices and keep counterfeit phones out of the market. The app also gives banks and financial institutions a trusted way to verify contacts, which should help reduce fraud. Even so, many users and privacy advocates point out that data protection is still a major concern.

Samsung Galaxy phones and others will need to surface the app during the initial setup process. Since older models will receive Sanchar Saathi through software updates, the rollout is expected to cover nearly every active smartphone in India.

What remains uncertain is whether all brands will fully comply. Apple, for example, has previously resisted government requirements related to anti-spam features. So it’s not clear how quickly it will follow this new order.

So, what is this Sanchar Saathi app?

Sanchar Saathi is a cybersecurity tool built by the DoT to make mobile usage safer. It protects users from fraud, scams, cloned devices and the misuse of stolen phones. It also lets you check whether your phone is genuine by using the IMEI number. The app is already available on Play Store and App Store.

You can also report a stolen or lost phone, track mobile numbers issued in your name, and flag suspicious calls or messages. It even alerts you when an unknown SIM is activated using your ID. The DoT says the system has helped recover over 7 lakh lost or stolen phones and has blocked more than 42 lakh fake or cloned devices.