It turns out that the Indian government has secretly ordered smartphone manufacturers such as Apple to pre-install government security apps

India's Ministry of Telecommunications has asked smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, to pre-install the government's security app, 'Sanchar Saathi.' According to a Reuters report, this is not a request or demand, but an order, and the manufacturer is being asked to prevent users from disabling the app, giving them 90 days to comply.

India orders smartphone makers to preload state-owned cyber safety app | Reuters

'Sanchar Saathi' is the name of a citizen-centric cybersecurity initiative promoted by India's Ministry of Telecommunications, as well as the name of a portal site and app.

Sanchar Saathi

Apple has been at odds with regulators over the Indian government's development of an anti-spam app, but the order will require the company to pre-install the 'Sanchar Saathi' app on devices within 90 days and prevent users from disabling it.

The order has not been made public and was sent privately and directly to Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

The number of smartphone users in India is 1.2 billion, and according to the government, thanks to the 'Sanchar Saathi' app released in January 2025, 50,000 lost smartphones were recovered in October 2025 alone, bringing the total to 700,000.

The government claims the app is necessary to combat serious risks such as cybercrime and the cloning of IMEI numbers (device serial numbers) that could allow for network abuse.

Apple's internal policy prohibits the installation of third-party apps, including government apps, on devices before they are sold, so resistance is likely.

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Apple denies Indian government's order to pre-install state-run apps - GIGAZINE