The government has withdrawn its mandate requiring mobile manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones, citing the platform’s rapidly growing acceptance among users, the Ministry of Communications (Department of Telecommunications) said on Wednesday.
The Sanchar Saathi app, designed to safeguard citizens from cyber fraud and support user reporting of suspicious activity, was earlier made compulsory to ensure wider awareness, particularly among less tech-aware users. The government clarified that the app carries no additional functions beyond user protection and can be deleted at any time.
According to the ministry 1.4 crore users have downloaded the app so far, collectively contributing information on nearly 2,000 fraud incidents every day.
The app has seen a surge in demand, with six lakh new registrations recorded in the past 24 hours—a tenfold jump in uptake, which officials described as a reflection of public trust in the platform, the ministry said.