India has reportedly decided not to move forward with a proposal that would have required smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung to pre-install a government-controlled biometric identification app on new devices.
According to Reuters, the plan would have mandated that the state-run app come preloaded on smartphones sold in the country. However, after pushback and policy review, the requirement will not be enforced on manufacturers.
The decision is significant for companies like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics, both of which would have been directly affected by the mandate given their large presence in India’s smartphone market.
Pre-installation requirements for government apps are often controversial because they raise concerns around user privacy, system control, and whether users can fully remove such software. In this case, the reversal avoids a situation where smartphone manufacturers would need to modify their device software for a single national requirement.
India remains one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing smartphone markets, so regulatory decisions like this are closely watched by global tech companies.
India has decided not to require smartphone makers to preinstall the government’s Aadhaar identity app on new devices, following a policy review by the country’s IT ministry.
According to Reuters, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had asked the IT ministry to begin discussions with companies such as Apple Inc. and other smartphone manufacturers about making the Aadhaar app mandatory on all devices. Aadhaar is India’s national digital identity system, issuing a 12-digit unique ID linked to biometric data such as fingerprints and iris scans, and is widely used for banking, government services, and taxation.
However, the IT ministry has now stated that it reviewed the proposal and is “not in favor” of enforcing preinstallation requirements. The decision followed consultations with stakeholders in the electronics industry.
The move is notable because the Indian government has reportedly attempted multiple times in recent years to require preloaded state-owned apps on smartphones. Reuters reports that similar requests have been made around six times over the past two years, but have consistently faced resistance from companies like Apple.
Apple has previously raised concerns about privacy, security, and user trust when asked to preload government apps. In a separate case last year, the company declined to comply with a mandate to preinstall the “Sanchar Saathi” app—used for reporting fraud, blocking stolen phones, and verifying second-hand devices—after which the government ultimately dropped the requirement.
In this latest instance, Apple again expressed concerns about preloaded software affecting system security and user privacy, contributing to the government’s decision not to proceed with mandatory installation.
Overall, the outcome reinforces that India will not move forward—for now—with enforcing preinstalled government identity apps on smartphones sold in the country.