WhatsApp has started testing a SIM‑binding feature in India that will periodically verify whether a user’s account is linked to the physical SIM card currently inserted in the phone. The move is part of the company’s efforts to comply with new Indian telecom regulations aimed at reducing fraud and improving identity traceability on messaging platforms.
Under the SIM‑binding model, WhatsApp will tie an account to the SIM that was originally used at registration. If that SIM is removed, swapped, or deactivated, the app may stop functioning until the original SIM is reinserted and re‑verified. A small group of users in India are already seeing an in‑app prompt asking them to “Allow WhatsApp to check the phone number on your SIM,” citing regulatory requirements in the country.
The testing comes after India’s Department of Telecommunications directed messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal to implement SIM‑binding under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024. The government has set a compliance deadline of December 31, 2026, arguing that the requirement will help curb SIM‑swap fraud, OTP interception, and the misuse of burner numbers in cyber‑crime and spam campaigns.
For now, the rollout is limited to a subset of users, and there is no immediate change to everyday usage. However, once fully implemented, the feature could affect how users manage multi‑device setups and secondary phones without a SIM. Multi‑device convenience may be tempered by the need for the primary SIM‑linked handset to be present for periodic checks, especially in business and SME environments that rely on secondary devices or shared accounts.
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