WhatsApp Developing SIM Bindng Feature for Users in India as Meta Works to Comply With DoTs Directive

A feature tracker has revealed WhatsApp is adding support for SIM binding to users with Indian phone numbers. According to the Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Rules (2024), Meta-owned chat platform is working to comply with last year’ dissent of Tele Com’s direction issued by its Department of telecom’s ‘DoT’, which requires verification of an active SIM card for messaging applications. In a screenshot of the feature, which is currently in development, users will be told that they need to check whether their smartphone has an SIM card or not so it’s on its phone to comply with regulatory requirements.

How WhatsApp’s SIM Binding Feature Is Expected to Work

In a screenshot of ‘Due to regulatory requirements in India, WhatsApp needs to check that your SIM card is in your device’ posted by feature tracker WABetaInfo. WhatsApp beta for Android 2 ‘I saw it on the WhatsApp version of , which is available in its android 2 update. Paraphrasing 26. 8 . Despite the fact that 6 update is still in development, it’s not likely to be available at any time as its functionality itself will have been released.

SIM binding on WhatsApp (tap to expand)
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

Meta is attempting to comply with a DoT-issued directive in November 2025 that requires SIM-based login verification for messaging apps. The rule applies to apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and other messaging apps that allow users to register for an account with a phone number. These apps will only be available to users in India if the registered SIM is installed in their smartphone, and access to these applications has been provided by user.

In the case of WhatsApp, which is ‘periodically’ renewing a user’s account session, it will perform an operation that verifies that the SIM in inserted into if users are using when signing up for WhatsApp while they have their handset. It will be done only for accounts registered with an Indian (+91) phone number, and this is not to do so.

WhatsApp will restrict access to “until validation” when an account fails the SIM binding verification test, while preserving existing chats and messages that were not received before the verification process failed. It is said that the DoT’s directive, issued in November 2025, was designed to prevent cyber fraud in the country.

Additionally, the DoT’s directive requires chat platforms to automatically log out web-based or desktop clients every six hours; users must log in on their account using a QR code that will be used for linking devices. But this has not yet reached a development version of WhatsApp, and it is unclear when the platform will add its own app to an update.

The Internet Freedom Foundation urged the DoT to remember its SIM binding requirement following last November’s directive, while highlighting problems with the measure after it was introduced in India by telecom operators lobbying for their mandate. The group also cited problems with app functionality as being related to issues such as SIM damage or the need to buy international packs just to keep their chat apps working while travelling.