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India Reverses Mandatory App Order After Apple Pushback
3 Dec, 2025
Summary
- India retracted its order for mandatory pre-installation of a security app.
- Apple reportedly planned to refuse compliance with the government mandate.
- The government cited the app's increasing popularity for the policy change.
India's government has rescinded a recent order that mandated smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi security application. This significant policy reversal came just days after the directive was initially communicated to manufacturers in the region.
The decision appears to have been influenced by industry pushback, with reports suggesting that Apple was prepared to refuse compliance with the government's mandate. The Sanchar Saathi app, designed for tracking lost phones, is already available for download.
In its statement, India's Ministry of Communications attributed the policy change to the app's voluntary adoption, noting its "increasing acceptance." The government asserted the app's security and its purpose to protect citizens from cyber threats, opting against making pre-installation mandatory.
