DoT says Sanchar Saathi app not a surveillance tool, to come pre-installed on all new phones

The Centre has moved to tighten mobile-security norms across the country, directing smartphone manufacturers to ship every new device with the government’s Sanchar Saathi app pre-installed. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has said the measure is aimed at tackling mobile theft, IMEI cloning and rising cyber fraud, but stressed that the app is not a surveillance or data-tracking tool. The clarification comes amid public speculation over whether the app could monitor user activity. Officials said the system will operate only to secure a device’s identity and block fraudulent SIM use without collecting personal data or accessing private content. Existing smartphones will receive the feature through an upcoming software update.

Over the past few years, cases of stolen handsets, cloned IMEIs and SIM-related fraud have risen sharply. The DoT has told all major manufacturers – including Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Apple to implement the directive within 90 days.

The government said the decision was prompted by the need to strengthen consumer protection as mobile-based transactions and digital payments surge across the country. Officials have emphasised that the app’s functions are limited to mobile-identity authentication and reporting misuse. Users worried about privacy, the DoT added, should note that the app does not record conversations, read messages or track browsing history.

A pre-installed app but not a tracking tool, says DoT

Responding to social-media concerns, the DoT said Sanchar Saathi:

• Does not carry out surveillance
• Does not access personal data
• Works only to secure IMEIs, detect duplication, and help block stolen phones

Users can delete the app on new devices if they wish, but the version pushed to older phones via system update will remain as a non-removable system utility. Even then, officials said, it will not interfere with user activity.

The government set up a working group to coordinate the rollout with handset makers. While most companies joined, Apple declined to participate, according to officials. Despite this, the DoT has asked Apple to follow the directive and ship new iPhones in India with Sanchar Saathi pre-installed.

Launched in January 2025 as a national cyber-safety platform, Sanchar Saathi is built to strengthen mobile identity protection. Its core functions include:

• Securing IMEI details
• Detecting duplicate or tampered IMEIs
• Helping trace and block lost or stolen devices
• Flagging potentially fraudulent SIM connections
• Alerting users if their mobile identity is misused

The platform links directly to telecom databases and can notify operators and law-enforcement agencies when a device is reported lost or compromised.

Official data shows the system has already played a major role in recovering lost and stolen devices.

26 lakh phones have been restored to owners
22.76 lakh devices have been successfully traced

For devices already in use, the Sanchar Saathi feature will arrive through a software update. The utility will function silently in the background and cannot be deleted or disabled on older phones.
Officials say this is necessary to ensure uniform device-validation and fraud-prevention across the national network.

If the app is not visible or if a user prefers the web version, they can register through the official portal:

• Visit the Sanchar Saathi website or open the app
• Enter mobile number
• Verify via OTP
• Provide name and ID details
• Access services including stolen-phone blocking and SIM-misuse alerts

India has over 120 crore mobile subscribers, and cybercrime linked to mobile devices has grown rapidly. With payments, government services and online identity heavily dependent on mobile verification, the government’s move to embed Sanchar Saathi on all devices is being pitched as a necessary, preventive step — even though concerns linger about system apps that cannot be removed.