India’s telecoms ministry has told phone makers to preload the state cyber security app Sanchar Saathi on all new devices and make sure users cannot delete it. The private order asks companies to do this within 90 days and has been sent quietly to major manufacturers. The move is likely to upset Apple and privacy groups.
The order covers phones from big brands such as Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi. For phones already in the supply chain, makers must push the app by software update. India is a huge phone market, and only a small share of devices there run Apple’s iOS.
The government says the app fights a serious threat from fake or duplicate IMEI numbers that help scams and illegal network use. The app lets people report suspicious calls, check IMEIs and block stolen phones through a central registry. Officials say the app has helped recover many lost phones and stop millions of fraudulent connections.
Apple’s rules normally stop any third‑party or government app from being preinstalled before sale, so Apple may resist or seek a compromise. Phone makers and the ministry have not publicly commented. The decision raises a clear tension between national security and user privacy and choice.