Apple Pressed by India to Pre-Install Government Apps on iPhones

Apple and other smartphone makers are being pressed by India to pre-install government-developed apps on devices before sale, echoing a similar 2021 demand from Russia that Apple ultimately complied with.

iPhone 12 Made in India
The request came during a meeting last month where government officials outlined plans for expanding access to state digital services, according to Bloomberg.

The initiative would require manufacturers to include the government's GOV.in app store and related apps on smartphones sold in India. When Apple faced similar requirements in Russia, the company agreed to show users a prompt during device setup to install government-approved apps.

The move was a rare exception to Apple's strict control over pre-installed software, coming some years before a barrage of regulatory demands from the likes of the EU that have since forced Apple to open up its platforms.

Both Apple and Google are showing resistance to India's proposal, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by the media outlet. Google, whose Android operating system powers more than 90% of India's roughly 700 million smartphones, is actively pushing back against the initiative.

During the discussions, government officials explored implementing policy mandates or legal measures to ensure compliance. Beyond pre-installation, they also requested that their apps be available for download outside the company's app stores from third-party sources without triggering "untrusted source" warnings.

The push comes as India seeks greater regulatory control over global tech companies. The situation is particularly complex given India's growing importance to both companies. Apple has significantly expanded iPhone production in India, which now accounts for more than 14% of global output, while Google has plans for major investments in smartphone assembly in the country.

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Top Rated Comments

cyanite Avatar
10 weeks ago

I hate Apple for this.

Money > Everything, absolutely everything.
Money? It's not about money at all, it's about legislation. They have to comply with local legislation or exit the market. What's the alternative you envision? Maybe direct your hate toward the legislation.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
10 weeks ago

There is no indication that these apps can do anything beyond what normal apps can do, so they'd be under the same security model, as far as we know.

If you don't live in India it won't affect you. If you do live in India, you can buy the product or not, which is one more choice than if they exited India.
If the apps are of value to Indians to access government information or services, they will install them themselves. Forcing them to be installed does not lead one to believe they are innocuous.

Whether I live in India is irrelevant. I want freedom from government overreach for everyone.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArPe Avatar
10 weeks ago
‘also requested that their apps be available for download outside the company's app stores from third-party sources without triggering "untrusted source" warnings.’

Whoever is suggesting these rules is taking millions in bribes from scam call centers and hackers.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
d5aqoëp Avatar
10 weeks ago
Some of the govt apps like VoterID, BHIM, DigiLocker are really good and useful in day today life. But it could just come up as a popup recommendation before setup. No need to shove it down everyone's throat.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kashifnawaz85 Avatar
10 weeks ago

‘also requested that their apps be available for download outside the company's app stores from third-party sources without triggering "untrusted source" warnings.’

Whoever is suggesting these rules is taking millions in bribes from scam call centers and hackers.
"without triggering "untrusted source" warnings."
That's the real danger. In other words Indian government wants to spy using phones.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
d5aqoëp Avatar
10 weeks ago

Very bad idea from a very untrustworthy regime and would set a very dangerous precedent. Hope both Apple and Google push back hard on this.
Brother.. give me an example it's an untrustworthy "regime"? The government was elected last year via a nationwide democratic electoral process. People do trust the government and have a chance to vote out the current party next election if they don't like it. This is not the case for governments in China, Russia, N. Korea and few other countries. Now no country will ever trust one another under any circumstance. But they don't go on calling each other untrustworthy lol.

I do believe that forcing to install all govt apps is a bit excessive bordering bloatware. But 3-4 apps made by the government are genuinely useful in urgent situations.

I will tell MacRumors members what the real problem faced by the Indian government is: Recently there have been lots of scams targeting Indians and especially senior citizens who are made to install government apps for Bank verification purposes. Gullible people install those FAKE GOVT apps (found on iOS and Android app store). These apps intercept OTP (one time password) used for bank to bank money transfers. That is why government wants Apple to show only the "Real" apps mandated by the government and reduce the scams. Yes we Indians also face scams en mass and the money is transferred to neighboring countries quickly making it harder for police to track the real criminals residing outside of India.

Little more to the above story: Criminals who are not Indian nationals, get mobile number and bank account in name of random street beggars or homeless person in need of urgent money. They ask him/her to go to a bank and open new account and give the mobile number and activate net banking, international bank transfers, etc. In return, the beggar/ poor person enjoys Rs. 5000 to Rs 10000 cash per month (or till the period the criminals can milk that account). This account is the one where scam call centers mislead gullible people to transfer their money. When the criminals believe that the amount is sufficient, it's transferred to international bank account in another country. The local police catch the beggar who has zero clue what's going on with his account at the cost of money paid to him per month in cash.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)