New SIM Card Rules 2026: SMS and UPI services will stop for 24 hours as soon as SIM is changed, know the new rule to protect from fraud

New SIM Card Rules 2026: SMS and UPI services will stop for 24 hours as soon as SIM is changed, know the new rule to protect from fraud Tezzbuzz | 2026-03-07 10:24:24

News India Live, Digital Desk: In the digital age, mobile number is the key to our bank and social media accounts. Fraudsters often empty your bank account by getting a fake SIM issued in your name. To thwart this ‘SIM swap’ attack, the government has made this ‘waiting period’ mandatory. What are the new rules? (Key Regulations) 24-hour SMS ban: After changing the SIM or getting a new SIM, neither will you receive any incoming SMS nor will you be able to send it (outgoing SMS) for the first 24 hours. Ban on OTP and Banking: Since SMS will be closed, you will not receive OTP (One-Time Password) of the bank. This means that you will not be able to do net banking, online shopping or transfer any funds for 24 hours. UPI and Digital Wallet: After changing the SIM, apps like Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm require SMS verification to re-link. Due to the new rule, you will not be able to do UPI transactions for 24 hours. Strict security of KYC: Now digital KYC and fingerprint/Aadhaar verification is mandatory for SIM replacement. Also, now only a maximum of 9 SIMs can be kept on one ID. New rule of WhatsApp and ‘SIM Binding’ (Effective March 1, 2026) ‘SIM binding’ has been made mandatory for apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal from March 1, 2026: Continuous Verification: Now these apps will check every 6 hours whether your registered SIM card is present in the phone or not. App closed if SIM is removed: If you remove the SIM card from your phone. or change it, your messaging app will stop working immediately. Web/Desktop Logout: WhatsApp Web and desktop versions will now automatically log out every 6 hours. To activate it again, you will have to scan from the same phone in which the SIM is inserted. Why are these rules important for you? This ’24 hour gap’ has been kept so that if a fraudster has fraudulently removed your SIM, then you get to know about it. As soon as your original SIM is deactivated, you will have time to reactivate it or inform the bank. As long as the hacker starts using your number, his SMS service will remain blocked and he will not be able to receive OTP.