India to require active SIMs for WhatsApp, Telegram in 2027

The striking change is that messaging accounts will need an active connection to the SIM associated with the user’s registered mobile number. India’s Department of Telecommunications issued the direction under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024. It applies from January 1, 2027, with services required to comply by December 31, 2026.

For example, if someone registers WhatsApp with an Indian mobile number, the account must remain linked to that number’s active SIM. If the SIM is removed, replaced, or deactivated, the service will stop working until that same active SIM is reinserted. The rule could affect Wi-Fi users and people who swap SIMs or use multiple devices.

The order covers WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Arattai, ShareChat, JioChat, and Signal. Web versions face an additional condition: users must be logged out at least every six hours and allowed to relink through a QR code. DoT says the measures target cyber fraud, including scams run from outside India using Indian numbers.

An active SIM is a subscriber identity module that is currently valid and working for the mobile number connected to it. In this order, the important link is between three things: the mobile number, its active SIM, and the messaging account registered with that number. That connection is what the new requirement would enforce.

For example, a person might register Telegram using a mobile number and then remove its SIM while continuing on Wi-Fi. Under the stated requirement, the account would need the same active SIM associated with that number. If the SIM were replaced or deactivated, the service would stop working until the same active SIM was reinserted.

The article does not describe the complete technical verification process. It does say the rule is intended to keep accounts tied to active subscriber identities and to curb cyber fraud involving Indian mobile numbers. This could affect people who swap SIMs, use several devices, or message over Wi-Fi without the registered SIM present.

The order explicitly names seven messaging services. They are WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Arattai, ShareChat, JioChat, and Signal. WhatsApp and Telegram are highlighted first, but the requirement is broader than those two platforms.

For instance, a user of Signal or ShareChat would face the same active-SIM condition described for WhatsApp and Telegram. Their account would need to remain linked to the active SIM associated with the registered mobile number. If that SIM were removed, replaced, or deactivated, the service would stop working until the same SIM was reinserted.

The list shows that the direction covers several messaging services rather than one company. DoT issued it under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024. Services must comply by December 31, 2026, before the requirement begins on January 1, 2027. The article does not say whether other services beyond these named platforms are included.

The immediate consequence is service interruption. If the SIM linked to a messaging account is removed, replaced, or deactivated, the account will stop working under the new requirement. This makes the active status of that particular SIM central to continued access.

For example, someone could register WhatsApp with one mobile number and later insert a different SIM while keeping the phone connected to Wi-Fi. Under the stated rule, WhatsApp would stop working until the original active SIM associated with the registered number was reinserted. The same principle would apply to the other named services.

This could be especially important for people who frequently swap SIMs or use multiple devices. It could also affect users who normally use messaging apps over Wi-Fi without the registered SIM in the device. Platforms must comply by December 31, 2026, and the requirement starts January 1, 2027. DoT links the measure to efforts against cyber fraud.

The web rule adds a regular interruption for people using browser versions of WhatsApp or similar services. If a service offers a web version, users must be logged out at least every six hours. They must also be given a way to reconnect the device through a QR code.

For example, someone working on a computer could open a messaging service in the morning and later find that the web session has ended after six hours. To continue, the user would scan or use the provided QR-code relinking process. The article presents this as a required web-session mechanism, alongside the active-SIM rule.

This could make long, uninterrupted web use less convenient. It may also require users to keep access to the phone or device used for relinking. The article does not specify exactly how every platform will implement the process. It says the services must comply by December 31, 2026, ahead of the January 1, 2027 start date.

The Department of Telecommunications says the measures are meant to curb cyber fraud. In particular, DoT points to scams operated from outside India while using Indian mobile numbers. The active-SIM requirement is therefore aimed at making messaging accounts remain connected to the subscriber identity associated with their registered number.

For example, an account registered with an Indian mobile number would have to stay linked to that number’s active SIM. If the SIM were removed, replaced, or deactivated, the service would stop working until the same active SIM returned. This requirement could make continued account use more dependent on the registered subscriber identity.

The article does not provide figures showing how much fraud the rule will prevent, nor does it describe specific investigations. It does identify the policy’s stated purpose and its legal basis: DoT issued the direction under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024. Services must comply by December 31, 2026, before enforcement begins on January 1, 2027.

A messaging app can use Wi-Fi as its internet connection even when the phone’s registered SIM is absent. That is why some users can continue messaging over Wi-Fi after removing the SIM. The SIM normally provides the subscriber identity and mobile number connection used when an account is registered or verified.

For example, a user may register WhatsApp with a mobile number, remove the SIM, and keep the phone on Wi-Fi. The app may still have internet access, but the new Indian requirement would require the account to remain linked to the active SIM associated with that number. If that SIM is removed, replaced, or deactivated, the service would stop working until it is reinserted.

The article specifically says the rule could affect Wi-Fi users without the registered SIM. It does not explain every technical step apps use to verify identity. Its stated aim is to curb cyber fraud, including scams operated from outside India using Indian mobile numbers, with the requirement beginning January 1, 2027.