Phone theft and SIM fraud aren’t small problems in India — they hit millions of people every year. This app gives ordinary users a direct way to fight back, letting them check who’s using their identity to get SIM cards, block a stolen phone so it can’t be used anywhere in the country, and report scam calls, all from one place, without having to visit a police station or telecom office.
The department first put Sanchar Saathi online as a website back in May 2023. It later became a full mobile app in January 2025, and by July of that year, it had already surpassed 46 lakh downloads, according to a statement from the Ministry of Communications.
ಸಂಚಾರ್ ಸಾಥಿ ಆಪ್ – ಸಂಪರ್ಕದಲ್ಲಿರಿ, ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿರಿ
ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಫೋನ್ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಜೀವನದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಭಾಗವಾಗಿದೆ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಸಂಪರ್ಕಗಳನ್ನು ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸಲು ಹಾಗೂ ರಕ್ಷಿಸಲು ಸಂಚಾರ ಸಾಥಿ ಆಪ್ ನಾಗರಿಕರಿಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ.
• ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಂದಾಯಿಸಿರುವ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಸಂಪರ್ಕಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿ.
•… pic.twitter.com/Ta4szH1Fnn— DCP North East (@DCPNEBCP) August 19, 2026
The app is also now available in Hindi and 21 regional languages, a move Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said was meant to help it reach people across the country, not just English speakers.
Here’s what citizens can do with the app:
- Check your registered numbers — See every mobile connection officially issued under your name, so you can catch fraudsters who used your ID to get a SIM without your knowledge.
- Block a lost or stolen phone — Report a missing device and its IMEI number gets blocked across every telecom network in India, so it can’t be used even with a new SIM.
- Verify a phone before buying it secondhand — Enter a handset’s IMEI number to confirm it isn’t stolen, tampered with, or blacklisted before you hand over your money.
- Report suspicious SIMs or connections — Flag any number linked to your identity that you don’t recognize, directly through the app.
- Report scam calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages — Use the built-in Chakshu tool to flag fake KYC alerts, impersonation scams, or phishing links straight to the department.
- Find verified helpline numbers — Check a directory of confirmed customer-care contacts for banks and other institutions, to avoid fake support numbers.
The government says more than 7 lakh stolen or lost phones have been recovered through the app’s blocking system so far, including roughly 50,000 in October alone.
In November, the department went a step further, directing phone manufacturers including Samsung, Apple, Google, Motorola, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on all new phones sold in India, giving them 90 days to comply. That order sparked some pushback, with opposition leaders calling it government overreach. Scindia pushed back on that criticism directly.
“Users have complete freedom to activate or delete the app at any time, ensuring safety without compromising privacy,” Scindia said.
For now, the government’s message to citizens remains simple: download the app, check your registered connections, and report anything that looks off. Officials say they expect adoption to keep climbing as the pre-installation mandate rolls out across new phones over the coming months.
