Sanchar Saathi: Why the Indian Government Made Mobile Device Verification Mandatory

Your New Phone Will Come with a Government Guard: Why the "Sanchar Saathi" App is Now Mandatory

If you are planning to buy a new smartphone in India in 2026, you might notice something different when you switch it on for the first time. Alongside the usual apps from Google, Samsung, or Apple, there will be a new icon on your home screen: Sanchar Saathi.

In late 2025, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which is part of the Indian government, issued a strict order. They told all smartphone companies—including big giants like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Vivo—that they must pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on every single phone sold in India.

This news has created a lot of buzz. Some people are happy about the extra safety, while others are worried about privacy. Why did the government take such a big step? Is it really for our safety, or is there more to it?

Here is a simple breakdown of the entire story, explaining why this decision was made and what it means for you.

The Big Decision: What Changed?

For a long time, "Sanchar Saathi" was just a website. If you lost your phone or wanted to check for fraud, you had to visit the portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in) on a browser. It was a useful tool, but many people didn’t know it existed.

That changed in November 2025. The government realized that while the tool was powerful, it wasn't reaching enough people. Cybercrime in India was rising, and scammers were finding new ways to cheat innocent people.

To fight this, the government decided to bring the solution directly to the user. They issued a legal order under the Telecommunications Act stating that:

1. Every new phone manufactured or imported into India must have the Sanchar Saathi app installed before it is sold.

2. Existing phones should receive the app through a software update if possible.

3. The app must be "visible and accessible"—meaning companies cannot hide it deep inside a settings folder.

Reason #1: The Explosion of Cyber Fraud

The biggest reason for this mandate is the scary rise in digital crime. You have probably heard stories of people losing lakhs of rupees to "digital arrest" scams, fake lottery calls, or OTP frauds.

The government found that many of these crimes were happening because criminals were using fake SIM cards or stolen phones.

• The "Mule" SIMs: Criminals often buy hundreds of SIM cards using fake ID proofs. They use these numbers to call victims, scam them, and then destroy the SIM.

• The "Digital Arrest" Panic: In 2024 and 2025, a new scam became popular where criminals posed as police officers or CBI agents on video calls, threatening people with "digital arrest" unless they paid money.

The Sanchar Saathi app is designed to be a shield against these specific crimes. By putting the app on every phone, the government hopes that people will use the "Chakshu" feature to report these fraudulent numbers immediately. The faster a number is reported, the faster the police can block it, saving other people from getting scammed.

Reason #2: The Problem of Stolen Phones

India has a massive market for second-hand phones. Unfortunately, this also means there is a huge market for stolen phones.

When a phone is stolen, thieves usually do two things:

1. They change the SIM card.

2. They try to tamper with the IMEI number (the unique identity code of the phone).

If they successfully change the IMEI number, the police cannot track the phone. It becomes a "ghost" device.

The government wants the Sanchar Saathi app on every phone to stop this. The app connects to a central system called CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register). It allows users to block a stolen phone instantly. Once blocked, that phone becomes a useless brick—it won't work on any mobile network in India, even if a new SIM is inserted.

By making the app mandatory, the government is trying to destroy the black market for stolen phones. If thieves know that every phone can be instantly bricked by the owner using a pre-installed app, stealing phones becomes much less profitable.

Reason #3: Checking Your Own Identity

Have you ever wondered how many SIM cards are registered in your name?

Sometimes, shopkeepers or agents misuse your Aadhaar card copy to activate extra SIM cards without your knowledge. They sell these extra SIMs to criminals. You might be sitting at home peacefully while a criminal uses a SIM registered in your name to commit a crime.

The Sanchar Saathi app has a feature called TAFCOP. It lets you see a list of every active mobile number linked to your ID. If you see a number you don't recognize, you can report it with one click.

The government made the app mandatory because they want every Indian citizen to perform this check. They believe that if everyone cleans up their own records, it will be impossible for criminals to hide behind fake identities.

The Controversy: Is it Safe?

While the government says this is purely for safety, the decision has faced some backlash. Privacy experts and some tech companies were not happy with the word "mandatory."

The Privacy Concern: Critics argued that forcing an app onto a personal device is a violation of user choice. They worried that a government app sitting on everyone's phone could potentially be used for surveillance or "snooping," even though the government has strictly denied this.

The "Bloatware" Argument: Smartphone users generally dislike "bloatware"—apps that come pre-installed and take up space. People felt that they should have the freedom to decide which apps to download.

The Government’s Clarification: "You Can Delete It"

Seeing the debate and the concerns raised by the public, the Telecom Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, issued a very important clarification in early December 2025.

He stated that while manufacturers are forced to install the app, users are not forced to keep it.

• It is Optional for You: You are free to delete or uninstall the app if you don't want it.

• No Forced Registration: You don't have to create an account if you don't want to.

The Minister explained that the government's duty is to "make the tool available" to everyone, especially to people in rural areas who might not know how to search for it on an app store. By pre-installing it, they ensure that even a non-tech-savvy person has access to these safety features. But ultimately, the choice to use it remains with the user.

Conclusion: A Necessary Step?

So, is the mandatory Sanchar Saathi app a good thing or a bad thing?

If we look at the sheer number of cybercrimes in India, it is clear that something had to be done. The tools inside Sanchar Saathi—like blocking stolen phones and checking for fake SIMs—are genuinely powerful and have already saved millions of rupees for citizens.

By forcing companies to install it, the government has ensured that safety isn't just for tech experts; it is for everyone.

However, the balance between security and privacy is always tricky. The fact that the government clarified that users can delete the app is a big relief. It gives us the best of both worlds: the tool is there if we need protection, but we still have ownership over our own devices.