Indian Government Mandates SIM Binding for Popular Messenger Apps: An Active SIM Card Will be Required Within the Device

The Union Government of India has now announced new directives for popular messenger apps that are in use across the country. One of the instructions mandates sim binding for these apps.

Here’s more about the update.

SIM Binding Now Mandatory for Popular Messenger Apps in India

Popular messengers like WhatsApp, Signal, Arattai, Sharechat, Telegram, and more will now have to ensure SIM binding within their platforms, and the latest directives issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has mandated it. This means, the SIM card that is used for registration will be needed within the device for the messenger app(s) to be operable, and users will be barred from accessing the services if it is not available. Just to add, along with this, the latest directives also mention that messenger apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram that offer web-based services will also have to make sure that the web services are automatically logged out every six hours.

These newly-issued directives align with the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Amendment Rules of October 2025, and fall under the Telecommunication Identifier User Entity (TIUE) concept. The main goal behind these directives is to prevent the possible cybersecurity risks that may affect users when such a service is accessible even when the SIM is not physically there within the device. Also to note, as per what has been announced, the Government of India has given messenger apps 90 days time for ensuring that the services they provide are linked continuously with the SIM card used for registering their accounts.

Stay tuned for more updates.