Sanchar Saathi: The Indian government has made a significant move concerning digital security. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has mandated that every new mobile phone sold in India or imported must come with the ‘Sanchar Saathi App’ pre-installed. This app cannot be deleted from the device. On Monday, the DoT sent out these guidelines to all mobile manufacturers (OEMs) and importers. This regulation will apply to smartphones from all major brands like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo.
The directive requires companies to make sure that the Sanchar Saathi app is easily visible and accessible during the phone’s setup process. Additionally, no features of the app should be restricted or disabled, allowing users to make full use of it. As a result of this government regulation, many are curious about what the Sanchar Saathi app is and how to use it.
Why was this rule put in place?
The DoT has instructed that all new devices must have the Sanchar Sathi app pre-installed within the next 90 days. For mobile phones that have already been produced and are currently on the market, the government has requested that manufacturers and importers provide the Sanchar Sathi app to users via software updates. The DoT explained that this measure was implemented to help individuals avoid buying counterfeit phones, easily report any telecom-related misuse, and enhance the effectiveness of the Sanchar Sathi initiative.
What exactly is the ‘Sanchar Saathi App’?
Introduced in May 2023, the Sanchar Saathi App portal enables users to report lost mobile phones and block them. It also assists in reporting suspicious or harmful web links, checking the number of mobile connections registered in your name, and accessing trusted contact numbers from banks and financial institutions.
This app will provide various other features, such as checking how many mobile connections are linked to a user’s name, verifying if a phone is authentic or counterfeit, and reporting spam or suspicious calls. Moreover, users can also report international calls made from Indian numbers. Importantly, these services will not require OTP verification on the phone.