The Indian government is looking forward to extending the SIM-binding deadline for messaging apps, according to people in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). They are talking about giving these platforms until the end of December 2026 to fall in line.
As per the Mint report, the big tech firms asked for more time from the government. They stated that making all the required changes in the original timeframe is not realistic.
What is a SIM Binding rule?
The DoT rolled out SIM-binding rules in November (2025), with the hope to lock user accounts and keep things more secured.
The idea is simple: if you are using a messaging app linked to your phone number, then your app account needs to stick to the active SIM card in your device.
In case you pull out the SIM, move it, or deactivate it, the app will logout or force you to verify again for security reasons.
The government is convinced that this will cut down on a number of scams and fraud that rely on hijacked Indian numbers.
Chasing down cyber fraud
Officials will make it clear that they are trying to slow the explosion of cybercrime. Scammers often lean on inactive or overseas SIMs to run their tricks—fake government calls, bogus arrests, and all that stuff.
So, by making sure accounts only work on active SIMs, the government hopes to cut out the anonymous crowd and track misuse more easily.
How does this affect web and desktop apps?
The rules is just applicable for smartphones currently, and in the near future, the web and desktop versions will step up too.
Messaging platforms have to log users out every six hours, minimum. After that, users will need to scan a QR code from their phone to get back in. The goal: add another hurdle for fraudsters.
Why the longer deadline?
Originally, companies had to comply in just 90 days; that window closed in February 2026. Turns out, that was not enough. Plenty of platforms just cannot make the jump that fast because of technical headaches.
Officials said that the challenges are real:
- operating system limits,
- testing,
- major changes at the platform level
Android might be ready sooner, but Apple’s iOS will take longer since it has more system-level obstacles to solve.
Rollout will happen in stages
The government’s pivoting to a phased rollout. This means platforms can make the changes slowly, iron out any bugs, and avoid messing up the user experience. The expectation is that, by December, everything’s sorted and the rules are finally in play.
