# Sandes — Instant Messaging System

> Indigenous, encrypted instant messaging platform for Indian government organizations. (iPhone/iPad app by NIC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandes/id1517976582 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [NIC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1192306449)
- Category: Social Networking, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.60/5 from 5 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.6 · 68 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2021-11-10
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandes/id1517976582/reviews.md

## What is Sandes?

Sandes is an open source based indigenous instant messaging platform developed by NIC, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India to facilitate instant messaging communication in Government organisations. It is hosted exclusively at Government infrastructure. It supports end to end encrypted messaging and encrypted backup and encrypted OTP service. Its privacy and data policy is governed by rules and regulations of the Government of India. Sandes can be integrated with other Government communications systems for sending encrypted messages without any cost. Currently Sandes is integrated with NIC email, DigiLocker and e-office.
At present, full features of Sandes app are available only to the Government verified users. Employees of Government organisation need to contact the Nodal officer of their Ministry/ Department for verification. For information about Nodal officers write to us at support-sandes[at]nic[dot]in

## Key features

- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- Encrypted backup
- Encrypted OTP service
- Government infrastructure hosting
- Integration with government systems
- Free to use

## Recent user reviews (3 of 3)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandes/id1517976582/reviews.md

### 1/5 — How to operate it …?

*2024-06-12*

I downloaded the app so that I can get quick access to govt. OTPs. This one completely fails . Kept waiting to get atleast testing msg or welcome mesg. Tried changing settings but no success. Two cents from me When you guys launch any new app please do test it from all the different govt app you’re connecting. This is unacceptable.

### 1/5 — Very poor experience

*2023-08-30*

The app does nothing. I get notifications but when I click , nothing happens. There are no notifications in the app. Don’t understand the point of this app.

### 1/5 — Notification for OTP failing

*2022-12-25*

The notification for OTP is failing i.e when you click on a notification it goes to the chat window and its blank!!!  This seems like a bug that needs to be fixed

## Frequently asked questions about Sandes

### What is Sandes?

Sandes is an indigenous instant messaging platform developed by NIC for government organizations in India. It provides end-to-end encrypted messaging and is hosted exclusively on government infrastructure.

### Is Sandes free to use?

Yes, Sandes is completely free to use. There are no associated costs for its messaging services or integration with other government communication systems.

### Does Sandes have ads?

No, Sandes does not contain advertisements. As a government-developed platform, it focuses on providing a secure and uninterrupted communication experience.

### What devices does Sandes support?

Sandes is currently available for iPhone and iPod devices. Future updates may expand compatibility to other platforms.

### How is my data protected on Sandes?

Sandes offers end-to-end encryption for messages and backups, ensuring your communications are private. Its privacy and data policy are governed by the rules and regulations of the Government of India.

### How often is Sandes updated?

The latest version of Sandes is 2.4.24, last updated on October 24, 2025. Regular updates ensure the platform remains secure and functional.

### Who can use the full features of Sandes?

Currently, the full features of the Sandes app are available only to government-verified users. Employees of government organizations need to contact their Nodal officer for verification.

### What is the user rating for Sandes?

Sandes has a user rating of 2.6 stars based on 5 ratings. This indicates a mixed reception from its current user base.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.4.27 — 2026-04-29

Bug fixes and improvements

### 2.4.24 — 2025-10-24

Bug fixes and improvement

### 2.4.23 — 2025-10-14

- Incorporated the new liquid glass elements into Sandes iOS app.
- Bug fixes and improvements.

### 2.4.20 — 2025-06-11

- Enhanced chat loading performance and improved scroll performance in the chat interface.
- New file and document preview UI, with zoom enabled for images.
- Fixed crashes occurring during app switching and when clicking the search button.
- App UI now blurs in the app switcher for added privacy.
- Fixed message search functionality.
- Improved HTML sanitization in text messages.
- Delivered notifications are now cleared when the app is launched.
- Fixed sender name not appearing in group chat.
- Improved contact search—no more prompts to add existing contacts.
- Bug fixes and improvements in the calling module.
- Fixed the issue where users could add members already in a group chat.
- When importing a shared contact, users can now review and edit the contact’s name and details before saving.
- Fixed tap gestures on images and files.
- Added an option to reset user's profile picture to default.
- Various other bug fixes and improvements.

### 2.4.11 — 2025-01-09

- Improvements in notification handling
- Other bug fixes and improvements

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All apps by NIC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1192306449

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*