WhatsApp and Other Messaging Apps Will Work Only With Active SIM on Mobile

The Government of India issued a new directive on 29 November regarding messaging platforms. Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, ShareChat, JioChat, Arattai, and Josh will not function on mobile devices without an active SIM card. The government claims that this measure will help track cyber fraudsters.

According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), messaging platforms must ensure that the app works only when the registered SIM is active on the mobile device. Under this “SIM binding” rule, if the SIM is removed, WhatsApp and other messaging apps will stop working.

For users logging in via web browsers on laptops or desktops, a major change has been introduced. Messaging platforms must log users out every six hours, after which users can log in again only via QR code.