New Delhi, October 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Users of WhatsApp, Telegram and other messaging platforms may need to keep the SIM card linked to their accounts active and available on their devices under a new SIM-binding requirement scheduled for implementation from January 1, 2027.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set December 31, 2026, as the compliance deadline for messaging platforms to implement the requirements, which aim to curb cyber fraud and the misuse of Indian mobile numbers.
Under the proposed framework, messaging apps that use Indian mobile numbers for registration will be required to verify the association between an account and an active SIM card or eSIM. Users who remove the registered SIM, replace it or allow the number to become inactive could face access restrictions, depending on how the platforms implement the rules.
The move is part of the government’s broader efforts to tackle cybercrime, phishing and digital arrest scams. According to the rationale outlined by the authorities, fraud networks have exploited Indian mobile numbers to register messaging accounts that are subsequently operated from outside the country.
Tighter SIM verification is intended to make such misuse more difficult and strengthen the link between registered mobile numbers and messaging accounts.
WhatsApp and Telegram are among the platforms expected to be affected because they rely on phone numbers for account registration. Reports have suggested that Snapchat may not fall within the mandate, while Signal’s position remains unclear. The precise scope and implementation arrangements should be confirmed through official notifications and platform guidance.
Who could be affected?
The change could be particularly relevant to users who keep their registered SIM in a secondary phone while accessing WhatsApp on another device, or those who remove the SIM after registering their accounts.
People who primarily use Wi-Fi, as well as users of dual-SIM phones, may also need to check whether their registered number meets the applicable verification requirements.
Both physical SIM cards and eSIM profiles are expected to be relevant to the framework. Users with an active eSIM linked to their registered number may be able to meet the requirement without keeping a physical SIM in the phone, subject to the final rules and each platform’s implementation.
The reported deadline does not indicate that WhatsApp will stop working on specific iPhone or Android models from January 1, 2027. The proposed change concerns SIM verification and account authentication rather than device brands or operating systems.
Users should monitor official DoT announcements and updates from their messaging platforms for the final requirements, verification procedures and any exceptions before the deadline.
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