If you use messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram without keeping the registered SIM card inside your phone, that could change from January 1, 2027. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set December 31, 2026 as the compliance deadline for messaging platforms to implement SIM-binding requirements aimed at cracking down on cyber fraud and misuse of Indian mobile numbers, IANS reported on Friday.

Source: IANS

Under the new framework, messaging apps that use Indian mobile numbers for registration will have to verify that the registered number is tied to an active SIM card or eSIM present on the device. From next year, users may lose access to their messaging accounts if the SIM linked to the account is removed, deactivated or replaced, according to the IANS report, which was also carried by ANI via NewKerala.

Source: ANI via NewKerala

In practical terms, users may no longer be able to continue accessing an account indefinitely after removing the SIM card used to create it. If the registered SIM is taken out, replaced or becomes inactive, the app could suspend functionality until the same number is restored through a valid SIM or eSIM profile.

The government says the decision is part of a wider effort to combat cybercrime, phishing operations and so-called digital arrest scams. According to the DoT, fraud networks have exploited Indian mobile numbers by purchasing SIM cards, registering messaging accounts and then operating those accounts from outside India.

Authorities believe tighter linkage between accounts and active SIM cards will make it harder to misuse Indian numbers for cross-border fraud. The change could particularly affect people who use messaging apps on secondary phones or Wi-Fi-only devices, and travellers who replace their Indian SIM with a local number abroad — a point of direct relevance to the Punjabi diaspora in Canada and elsewhere who keep Indian numbers active for family and business contact.