Popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram will only work on a phone that carries the active SIM card used to register the account, once the government’s SIM-binding rules take effect on January 1, 2027. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued guidelines asking the covered platforms to link every account to its live, registered SIM by December 31, 2026. If that SIM is taken out, swapped or deactivated, the app is expected to stop working until a valid SIM is put back in.
Which apps are covered
The requirement flows from directions the DoT sent on November 28, 2025 under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024. They apply to app-based communication services that use an Indian mobile number to identify users: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, Arattai, ShareChat, Josh and JioChat. Each must make sure the service stays continuously linked to the SIM installed in the device, so the app cannot be used without that specific active SIM.
The platforms were first given 90 days to comply, which put the deadline at March 28, 2026. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha in April, Minister of State for Telecom Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said the timeframe had been set at December 31, 2026.
Why the government wants it
Most messaging apps verify a number once, with a one-time SMS code, and keep working even after the SIM is removed or the number is moved abroad. The DoT says this gap is being exploited by fraudsters, especially those operating from outside the country, to run phishing, impersonation and so-called digital arrest scams using Indian numbers. The Ministry of Communications has said cyber fraud losses crossed ₹22,800 crore last year, and that the rules will improve traceability. SIM binding is already standard for banking and UPI apps.
Who is likely to be affected
- People who use WhatsApp or Telegram on a Wi-Fi-only tablet or a second phone without the registered SIM
- Users who switch SIM cards often, or travel abroad and swap in a local SIM
- Anyone who relies heavily on linked devices and web versions of these apps
One part of the original order has been eased. The directions had asked for web sessions of these apps to be logged out at least every six hours, with users re-linking through a QR code. That fixed limit has since been replaced by a risk-based logout requirement, the minister told Parliament, so web users should not face automatic six-hour logouts.
How platforms are preparing
Apple has updated iOS so it can detect when an iPhone is running without a physical SIM, and WhatsApp is reported to be testing SIM binding in its Android beta. Signal is reported not to have responded to the government’s notices yet. Platforms that fail to comply can face action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and the cyber security rules.
What happens next
The exact effect on users will depend on how each app builds the check, and January 1 is an operational start date rather than a day when existing accounts are switched off. A survey by consumer group CUTS International found 80% of consumers and more than 60% of small businesses expect some disruption. The DoT also plans a mobile number validation platform to confirm that numbers belong to genuine users.
