{"id":4465,"date":"2026-04-18T00:46:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T23:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovatenews.site\/index.php\/2026\/04\/18\/india-drops-plan-to-force-apple-to-preinstall-state-owned-app-on-iphones\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T00:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T23:46:08","slug":"india-drops-plan-to-force-apple-to-preinstall-state-owned-app-on-iphones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovatenews.site\/index.php\/2026\/04\/18\/india-drops-plan-to-force-apple-to-preinstall-state-owned-app-on-iphones\/","title":{"rendered":"India drops plan to force Apple to preinstall state owned app on iPhones"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The topic India drops plan to force Apple to preinstall state owned app on iPhones<\/strong> is currently the subject of lively discussion \u2014 readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.<\/p>\n

This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies\u2019 decisions and competitors\u2019 reactions can quickly change the picture.<\/p>\n

Reuters reports that the Indian government has given up on its plan to mandate that Apple and other smartphone makers pre-install a state-owned \u201csecurity\u201d app. Here are the details.<\/p>\n

Late last year, the Indian government instructed Apple, Samsung, and other smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi, an undeletable state-run security app that raised privacy concerns.<\/p>\n

The government is framing it as a way to help users recover lost and stolen phones, but it ensures that all phones can be tracked by the government, with obvious implications for user privacy.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the government issued its mandate, which would have also applied to iPhones in use in India via an iOS update, Apple said it wouldn\u2019t comply, echoing its response to similar requests in the past.<\/p>\n

Now, Reuters reports that the Indian government \u201chas decided not to go ahead\u201d with the proposal, stating only that the country\u2019s IT ministry had held a \u201cconsultation with stakeholders from the electronics industry\u201d before reaching this decision.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s IT ministry reviewed the proposal and \u201cis not in favour of mandating the pre-installation of \u200bthe Aadhaar App on smartphones,\u201d UIDAI said in a statement to Reuters on Friday.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s decision fits into a broader pattern. The Indian government has repeatedly tried to require smartphone makers to preinstall state apps over the past few years, to no avail. Here\u2019s Reuters:<\/p>\n

The Aadhaar request was the sixth time in two years the government has sought pre-installation of state apps on phones, according to the data industry communications reviewed by Reuters earlier this year. All six attempts were opposed by the industry.<\/p>\n

As has been the case from the start, Sanchar Saathi remains available on the App Store for users who want to install it, but today\u2019s decision drops the requirement for it to be preinstalled on new devices or automatically pushed to iPhones already in use via an iOS update.<\/p>\n