WhatsApp Reportedly Testing SIM Verification in India; App May Not Work Without Active SIM

WhatsApp continues to introduce new features to enhance user experience. The instant messaging platform is now reportedly working on a feature that aligns the app with India's mandatory SIM linkage rule.

For the unaware, last year, new rules from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Rules, mandated that WhatsApp accounts remain linked to an active SIM card.

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WhatsApp Reportedly Testing SIM Verification Feature

According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on complying with this new regulation in India. The update is expected to introduce tools that ensure accounts remain securely linked to active SIM cards. So, under this condition, the messaging app no longer functions on your phone if it does not have an active SIM card.

As per the shared screenshot by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp will implement technical measures to support compliance with new rules in the country. Currently, users can access WhatsApp with a one-time 6-digit code, without any periodic verification of their phone number. After the initial login, the platform does not automatically verify whether the linked SIM card remains active. According to DoT, this could create opportunities for misuse of disconnected or reassigned phone numbers.

To address this, new regulations require WhatsApp to introduce periodic SIM-based verification. As part of this update, WhatsApp will soon run background checks to confirm that the registered SIM is still active and present on the device. If verification fails, account access could be temporarily restricted until validation is completed. However, users will not lose their chat history or pending messages during this process. Alternative login methods, such as passkeys, may not be accepted for this SIM confirmation.

These changes will apply only to users in India. Since the regulation is specific to India, WhatsApp will implement the update only for phone numbers with the +91 prefix. Users in other countries will continue to use the app without periodic SIM verification prompts. Moreover, the feature is currently under development and is expected to roll out in a future update.

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