Government Withdraws Mandatory Pre-Installation of Sanchar Saathi App

The Government of India has decided to withdraw its proposal mandating the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones, citing strong voluntary adoption and increasing public trust in the cybersecurity platform.Launched with the objective of providing accessible cyber protection to all citizens, the app is designed solely to help users safeguard themselves against digital fraud and report suspicious activity. Officials had initially considered pre-installation to fast-track adoption and ensure wider reach, particularly among less digitally aware populations. However, the government has clarified that the app serves no function other than user protection and can be removed at any time at the discretion of the user.

Sanchar Saathi functions as a platform for “Jan Bhagidari”  enabling citizens to actively participate in identifying and reporting cybercrime while securing their own digital footprint. The app has been steadily gaining traction, with 1.4 crore users already onboarded, collectively reporting around 2,000 suspected fraud incidents each day.Adoption has accelerated sharply in recent days. In the last 24 hours alone, nearly six lakh new users registered to download the app, marking a nearly tenfold spike in daily sign-ups. Officials see this surge as a strong vote of confidence in the government’s cybersecurity initiative.

With user uptake rising organically and public faith firmly growing, the government has now determined that a pre-installation mandate for smartphone manufacturers is no longer necessary. The focus will instead remain on awareness campaigns and voluntary participation to further strengthen citizen-led cyber vigilance across the country.