Some radical changes are coming for tech users in India. A recent move in India has effectively ended a longstanding loophole that allowed WhatsApp users to operate the app on spare phones connected only via WiFi. Beginning now, users without a valid linked SIM card may lose access to their accounts and messages, according to the new enforcement.
The Government of India has a simple clarification:
The DoT (Department of Telecommunication) says scammers, especially those operating from abroad, have been exploiting this independence between app and SIM. In many cases, fraudsters reportedly used WhatsApp numbers from disconnected Indian SIMs – numbers that still worked online but no longer existed on any device.
The policy shift largely targets so called “WiFi only” or “spare phone” users, i.e., individuals who kept WhatsApp on a second or backup phone without an active SIM. These users were relying solely on wireless internet for connectivity. This workaround had been widely used to separate personal and business communications, protect privacy, or serve users who didn’t want to pay for additional mobile data or broadband SIMs.
Authorities and regulators argue the change enhances account security. Without SIM link verification, WhatsApp accounts are more susceptible to misuse, identity fraud, and anonymous messaging. By insisting on a valid mobile number and SIM linked verification, the platform and regulators aim to tie each account more securely to a real world identity.
Some businesses, social media managers, and users who relied on secondary devices for separate communications, especially those using public wifi or shared broadband, now face the prospect of losing access or having to rework entire workflows.
Given WhatsApp’s global reach and similar practices in other countries, the shift could foreshadow a broader crackdown on WiFi only usage elsewhere, especially in regions where SIM registration or verification is becoming more stringent.
However, this move also beg the question if Pakistan will follow suit, given the country has already placed many security-related concerns with social media apps in the last two years. Pakistan already has been ranked 27th out of 100 (Not Free) on the scale of internet freedom scale.
For now, Indian WhatsApp users are advised to check their account status, ensure a valid SIM is active, and migrate data if needed, or risk losing access under the new rules. As regulatory enforcement ramps up, the spare phone era may finally be over.
India only recently directed mobile phone manufacturers to have a default cybersecurity app on the devices, and to refresh logins of WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.