India's telecom department wants messaging apps to tie accounts to your SIM card, and the rules are expected to start January 1, 2027. Your chats could be affected.
India is set to require messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram to tie your account to the SIM card you signed up with. The rules are expected to take effect on January 1, 2027, after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) extended the compliance deadline to December 31, 2026.
Under SIM binding, the SIM used to register must stay active and inside the phone running the app. A SIM is the small card that holds your phone number. If you remove it or move to another phone, you may lose access for a while.
The government says the aim is to curb cyber fraud involving Indian mobile numbers, including impersonation, phishing, investment scams and digital-arrest frauds. It argues that accounts left active after a SIM is removed or deactivated can be misused remotely, which makes offenders harder to trace.
The original DoT directions, issued November 28, 2025, named WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Arattai, ShareChat, Josh, JioChat and Signal. A rule to log out web sessions every six hours has reportedly been withdrawn. Web sessions are expected to be logged out based on risk analysis instead. The final experience will depend on each app and further DoT directions.
If you use an Indian number on WhatsApp or Telegram, keep that SIM active and in your phone once the rules start.
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