Sandes app is now available for download on the Apple App Store in India. With the Sandes app, the government takes on the likes of WhatsApp which currently has millions of users. The Sandes app was initially introduced for government employees due to security concerns. Last year in April, the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued an advisory to all government employees to avoid using platforms including Zoom, WhatsApp and others after the Computer Emergency Response Team posted an advisory against zoom over safety concerns. Due to this reason, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed India's messaging app 'Sandes'. What is Sandes App? Is It the Government's Answer to WhatsApp? Everything You Need to Know.

The app is available for download on the Apple App Store and is yet to be available for Android users. But Android users can still download the APK file by visiting the gims.gov.in website. NIC has not revealed when will the app be available to Android users. Here's how you can download and set up the Sandes app from the App Store.

Sandes
Sandes (Photo Credits: GIMS)

1. Open the App Store and search for 'Sandes' on the search bar, there are many Sandes apps, so make sure you download the authentic one which has been developed by NIC.

2. Tap on 'Sandes' and hit 'Install'.

3. After the successful download, open the app and enter your mobile number.

4. An OTP will be sent on your mobile number, after receiving it, enter the same to verify your mobile number.

5. Then you will be asked to select your gender, which is optional and you are good to go.

After following these steps, you will be able to see your contacts that are already using the Sandes app. The messaging platform is claimed to be working fine and reportedly keeps the messages encrypted end-to-end like its rivals.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 17, 2021 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).