The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided not to proceed with a proposal to require pre-installation of the Aadhaar app on smartphones, following opposition from device makers. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had earlier this year asked the IT ministry to explore the move with mobile manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung. However, according to a UIDAI statement shared with Reuters, the ministry reviewed the proposal and “is not in favour of mandating the pre-installation of the Aadhaar App on smartphones.” UIDAI added that the decision followed consultations with stakeholders from the electronics industry.
Why was the proposal dropped? A senior Indian official told Reuters that the IT ministry “is not supportive of any preloading of apps, unless it is considered very essential.” At the same time, smartphone manufacturers raised concerns about device security and compatibility. They also pointed to higher production costs, noting that separate manufacturing lines would be needed for India and export markets. Apple and Samsung specifically flagged safety and security issues during discussions.
New Aadhaar app: The government announced the new Aadhaar app on January 28, 2026. It supports use cases such as hotel check-ins through QR-based offline verification, optional face authentication, age verification, and identity checks for services. The app also offers face verification, biometric lock and unlock, authentication history, QR-based contact sharing, and the management of up to five Aadhaar profiles on a single device.
Preloading state apps on mobiles: More broadly, the Aadhaar proposal reflects a wider push to mandate government apps on devices. The Aadhaar request marked the sixth such attempt in two years. Earlier, the government had required the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on smartphones, but later withdrew the directive, stating it “has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers.”
For context, Sanchar Saathi is a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) platform that allows users to track and block lost or stolen phones, verify mobile connections, and report telecom fraud.
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