SIM binding in India: What it means for WhatsApp, Telegram users and why the government wants it

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The government has introduced a major rule that will change how many popular communication apps work in India. This includes WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, SnapChat, ShareChat, JioChat, Arattai and Josh. If you use any of these, things may soon work differently. Here is what it means.

The Department of Telecommunications has told these apps that within the next 90 days, they must make sure their services work only when the correct SIM card is in the phone. If you remove that SIM, the app should stop working. This is known as SIM binding.

Today, you can verify your WhatsApp or Telegram account once and keep using it even if you remove the SIM, change it or even switch to Wi Fi. The government says this freedom is creating a security problem.

According to the government, many cybercriminals outside India use Indian mobile numbers to cheat people. They log into Indian apps using old or inactive SIM linked accounts. Because the SIM is not physically present in the phone, there is no record of where the phone actually is. This makes it hard to track criminals.

If the app stops working the moment the SIM is removed, the government believes it will close one loophole that scammers use to stay untraceable.

The telecom industry agrees. It says that communication apps today verify your SIM only once when you first install them. After that, even if you remove the SIM or it gets deactivated, the app continues to work. Telecom companies argue that this makes it easy for hackers, spammers and fraudsters to misuse numbers.

There are two big requirements:

--Continuous SIM presence:

Apps must check regularly whether the original SIM card is still inserted in your phone. If not, the app must automatically stop working until you insert the correct SIM again.

--Web access restrictions:

If you use WhatsApp Web or similar web versions, the government wants you to get logged out automatically every six hours. To log in again, you will have to scan a QR code with the app. This is to ensure the device and user are genuine.

Apps must report back to the government within 120 days that they have followed all instructions.

For most people, things may not change much. You will still use your messaging apps the same way, except they will rely more strongly on your active SIM card. You may notice more frequent checks or occasional relogins.

However, people who use these apps on secondary devices without a SIM, or those who keep their SIM in one phone but use the app on another, may face interruptions.

Experts are not fully convinced. Some cybersecurity researchers say fraudsters often buy SIM cards using fake or borrowed documents. They use these SIMs briefly, commit scams, then throw them away. So forcing apps to stay tied to a SIM might not stop them.

Others point out that India’s telecom verification system already uses AI and video KYC, yet fraud continues. So the real problem may lie elsewhere.

In simple terms, the government wants stronger traceability. It wants every communication app account to be linked to a physical SIM at all times. Supporters believe this will reduce scams. Critics believe the impact will be limited and may create inconvenience for normal users.

Either way, this is one of the biggest changes to how messaging apps operate in India and will affect millions in the coming months.