Sanchar Saathi is India’s new state-approved app to block stolen phones [Photo: X]
The Indian government has recently issued a mandate requiring all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on their new devices.
Sanchar Saathi is a government-run cybersecurity and telecom-safety app. It aims to help users track, block, and report lost or stolen phones, detect fake SIMs and fraudulent connections, and quickly report scam calls or suspicious messages.
The new directive applies to all major handset makers — including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, and others. These companies now have 90 days to roll out devices with the app pre-installed. Users won’t be able to delete it.
India’s telecom ecosystem has faced serious challenges from phone theft and fake SIM cards to spoofed IMEI numbers, identity theft, and rising cyber fraud. The government designed Sanchar Saathi to address these issues.
Before Sanchar Saathi, users had to rely on slow, manual processes to report stolen phones or suspicious activity. The app now puts control directly into the user’s hands — from their handset — reducing delays and improving response time.
With over 5 million downloads since its January 2025 launch, the app has already helped block more than 3.7 million stolen or lost phones and shut down over 30 million fraudulent connections across networks.
In short, it’s not just a “lost-phone finder.” It’s a full-fledged telecom security toolkit for everyday users.
Officials argue that India’s vast mobile population — more than 1.2 billion users — has become a prime target for cybercriminal networks. With widespread phone theft, illegal SIM activation, and financial scams rising sharply, authorities say telecom-level safeguards can no longer be optional.
In short, the government sees this as a national-scale security upgrade — the digital equivalent of installing CCTV cameras in an entire city.
While the app’s purpose is clear, the inability to uninstall it has raised eyebrows. Privacy advocates worry that a mandatory, persistent telecom-linked app could set a precedent for deeper government visibility into personal devices.
The government insists that Sanchar Saathi operates only on telecom data, not personal files, and that it complies with India’s upcoming data-protection norms.
However, experts say stronger transparency measures will be essential to build public trust.
India’s mobile-first population is vulnerable to digital fraud on a massive scale. In that context, the Sanchar Saathi mandate represents an assertive attempt to put protective tools directly in the hands of users.
Yet the debate is far from settled. Security comes at a cost, and the question now is whether this trade-off between convenience, privacy, and state intervention will ultimately benefit the country’s digital future.
For now, Sanchar Saathi is set to become a permanent fixture on every new smartphone — a sign of how urgently India is trying to safeguard its citizens in an increasingly connected world.
