SIM-binding rules: WhatsApp, Telegram to require active SIM from Jan 2027

WhatsApp and Telegram may stop working if the registered SIM is removed, replaced or deactivated under the DoT's new SIM-binding rules, set to take effect from January 1, 2027

WhatsApp, Telegram and other messaging app users in India may face access restrictions as the government prepares to implement SIM-binding rules from January 1, 2027. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued guidelines requiring platforms to link accounts to the active SIM cards used for registration by December 31, 2026, reported The Times of India.

 

Under the rules, an app’s functionality will stop if the registered SIM card is removed, replaced or deactivated, until a valid SIM is reinserted. The move aims to curb cross-border cyber fraud, phishing and digital arrest scams involving Indian mobile numbers, while strengthening telecom cybersecurity.

 

In November 2025, the DoT issued the rules after finding that some app-based communication services using Indian mobile numbers to identify customers allowed users to access their services without the underlying SIM card being present in the device running the app.

  

Will all messaging apps follow SIM binding?

 

WhatsApp and Telegram are among the services covered by the reported requirements. Snapchat is reportedly not required to comply with the SIM-binding rules. According to The Times of India report, Signal has not responded to government notices.

 

Users should note that January 1, 2027, is being cited as the operational start date, while December 31, 2026, is the stated compliance deadline. The available information does not establish that WhatsApp will stop working on specific phone models from January 1.

 

Who is likely to be affected?

 

The requirements could affect users who operate WhatsApp or Telegram on smartphones without keeping the registered SIM card inserted. This could include iPhones and Android phones, depending on how the services implement the rules. Users who access their messaging accounts across multiple devices, travel abroad or primarily use their phones over Wi-Fi may also be affected.