Desk. The new rule is going to come into effect from March 1, 2026, under which the Central Government has made it clear that no relaxation will be given in SIM-binding rules. In late November, the Department of Telecommunications had directed to implement ‘SIM binding’ for instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat. These social media and messaging platforms were given 90 days to implement this, the deadline is ending on 28th February and the time has come for the SIM binding rule to come into effect from 1st March. This rule is coming into effect from March 1 and companies are not being given any extension on these rules, that is, they will have to follow the rule of SIM binding from March 1.
SIM binding means that the number with which you use instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat etc. must be on the SIM card of the device. If the SIM is removed or gets damaged or becomes inactive then messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat will also stop. That is, if you want to use WhatsApp, then the phone should have the SIM on which you have activated the WhatsApp number.
Till now there was a facility in WhatsApp that you could login once by entering a 6-digit code or OTP and after that it was not checked again and again whether the same SIM is active or not. Even after removing the SIM, WhatsApp could run on that device. If you wanted to run it with the help of Wi-Fi or Net, then it was possible. Following the new rules, the SIM should be active and should be in the same device in which you are running WhatsApp.
If the SIM card is removed from the mobile device, then you will not be able to use apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Telegram used from that number in that device. Apart from this, the web version of these apps also has a provision to automatically log out the account every 6 hours. To use the account on the web, you can log in by scanning the QR code again after 6 hours.
If you have inserted the SIM in the same phone in which you are running WhatsApp, then there is nothing to worry about and your WhatsApp will continue to run. However, if you remove the SIM, WhatsApp may become temporarily inactive and you will have to insert the SIM in your handset again and do the login process.
To curb the rapidly increasing financial frauds, the Department of Telecommunications has decided to make SIM binding mandatory for instant messaging apps. In recent times, incidents of cyber crime and financial fraud have increased rapidly. Due to SIM binding, hackers will be deprived of access to instant messaging apps by swapping SIMs and incidents of fraud can be controlled.
