WhatsApp appears to be currently developing the SIM binding feature, as directed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in its November directive. WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp beta releases and upcoming features, reports that the SIM binding feature is still ‘under development.’ However, WABetaInfo also mentioned that the feature is not yet available for beta testing.
WhatsApp declined to comment beyond what WABetaInfo reported. In an email response, it said: “At the moment, we have no further information to share besides what is already covered in the report by WhatsApp Beta Info.”
The blog post said that “WhatsApp is refining how the new system performs SIM validation to secure account access.” It was referring to the DoT’s SIM binding directive, which mandated that certain app-based communication service providers ensure that the registered SIM is actively present on the device at all times for messaging services to continue.
The blog post also explained how this feature may work:
“WhatsApp will perform a background validation to ensure the registered SIM is still present and active on the device. This means that even after logging into WhatsApp, users will periodically need to renew their account session. This operation will confirm that the SIM still belongs to the legitimate owner. Accounts that fail verification will be subject to restricted access until validation is restored. Users won’t lose their chat history or pending messages while their account is under SIM verification.” – WABetaInfo
Some Background on SIM Binding:
In November 2025, DoT issued the SIM binding directive to WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Arattai, Snapchat, ShareChat, JioChat, and Josh, mandating that they ensure users’ SIM cards are continuously linked to their apps.
However, if users access these applications via the web, app providers must log them out periodically, no more than every six hours. Additionally, they must provide the option to log in again via a QR code. The directive gave the platform providers 90 days to comply.
The directive followed DoT’s notification of the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Amendment Rules, 2025, which introduced a new category, the Telecommunication Identifier User Entity (TIUE), under telecom regulation. TIUEs refer to applications that use a telecom identifier (such as a SIM number) to identify users, including WhatsApp, Signal, and Snapchat.
Explaining the rationale behind the Sim Binding, the government said that some applications continue to function even after users remove a SIM from the device following initial OTP-based verification, creating a vulnerability that fraudsters could exploit for cyber fraud, including digital arrests and phishing scams.
Why Experts Believe SIM Binding is Technically Infeasible:
OS-Level Restrictions:
Experts argue that SIM binding, as outlined in the government’s directive, is difficult to implement because…
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