Sanchar Saathi App: How it works, key features, and installation permissions

The Department of Telecommunication has mandated smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones being launched in India. Here's a list of all permissions the app will ask for on your new device

tantaara

Dec 2, 2025 - 22:58

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Sanchar Saathi App: How it works, key features, and installation permissions

The Department of Telecommunications has mandated smartphone makers, including Apple, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on their new devices launching in India. The cybersecurity app, launched earlier in the year, will also need to be pushed to already-manufactured devices via software updates.

The Union government has given smartphone makers a 90-day timeline to complete implementation and submit their report within 120 days. The department states that this initiative is designed to curb the misuse of telecom resources for cyber fraud and ensure telecom cybersecurity.

If this is the first time you are hearing about the Sanchar Saathi app, here's everything you need to know about it, including the permissions it may request on your new device.

What is Sanchar Saathi?

Sanchar Saathi is a government-run app which is a successor to the portal by the same name. The app is available on both iOS and Android and has been downloaded over 5 million times since its launch.

Once the app is installed on their device, users can block lost or stolen mobile phones across all telecom networks in the country. This allows law enforcement agencies to trace the location of the blocked device whenever it is used anywhere in the country.

The app also allows users to check all the mobile connections registered under their name and report those that do not belong to them.

The app also features a Chakshu facility, allowing users to report fraudulent calls, SMS, or WhatsApp messages.

As for the reason behind pre-loading the app on your new device, the government says: “TCS Rules empower the Central Government to issue directions to manufacturers of telecommunication equipment bearing International Mobile Equipment Identity number to provide assistance as required in relation to tampered telecommunication equipment or IMEI number. The Rules also mandate that such manufacturers or importers shall ensure compliance with the directions issued by the Central Government for the purpose of giving effect to the rules.”

“Mobile handsets bearing duplicate or spoofed IMEI pose serious endangerment to telecom cybersecurity. Spoofed or tampered IMEIs in a telecom network lead to situations where the same IMEI is working in different devices at different places simultaneously, and pose challenges in action against such IMEIs. India has a big second-hand mobile device market,” the official notification reads.

“Cases have also been observed where stolen or blacklisted devices are being resold. It makes the purchaser an abettor in crime and causes financial loss. The blocked or blacklisted IMEIs can be checked using the Sanchar Saathi app,” it added.

Initially, it was believed that the Sanchar Saathi app would be uninstallable on new devices, but Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has clarified that this will not be the case.

What permissions does Sanchar Saathi require?

After installing the Sanchar Saathi app on our Android device, we found that the app requires access to a range of permissions, including call logs, camera, notifications, phone calls, and SMS. Apart from this, the app requires an internet connection to connect with its servers.