Free IMEI Blacklist Check
Find out whether a phone has been reported lost, stolen or blocked for non-payment, and what to do when the answer is "we could not tell".
Check this IMEI for a blacklist — free
See device, blacklist and lock status in seconds — no signup. Dial *#06# on the phone to display its IMEI — or scan a photo or screenshot of that screen, or of the barcode on the phone's box or SIM tray.
Check many IMEIs at once — paste, photo or Excel (up to 100) →100% free · no signup · no card needed
What a blacklist check really looks up
There is no single list called "the blacklist". When a phone is reported lost or stolen, or a financed phone goes unpaid, the carrier that holds the account asks for the IMEI to be blocked on its own network, and in many countries the report is also copied to a shared register. A check is only as good as the sources it can reach.
Our check asks the live carrier databases we can reach in the United States and reads the answer for this IMEI. Where a carrier answers with a verdict we show it, where it answers without one we say so, and where it does not answer we say that too. You will always see which of the three happened.
The three answers you can get here, and what each one means
| Answer | What we actually know | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Reported | A source that answered flagged this IMEI as lost, stolen or blocked for non-payment. | Walk away or ask the seller to resolve it first. The phone will not stay connected to most networks. |
| Clean | Sources that answered returned no flag for this IMEI. | Good sign. Still confirm in person that *#06# on the handset shows the same number you checked. |
| Inconclusive | The databases that replied could not confirm this IMEI either way, or some did not reply. | Treat it as not yet checked. Use the official register for the country where the phone will be used. |
We list the answering sources on the result itself, for example "Answered, no verdict: T-Mobile". A result that names no answering source is never shown as clean.
The free official registers, by country
These are the public lookups run by the industry bodies and regulators themselves. We link them rather than copying their data, and they open on their own sites, where some ask for a captcha.
| Where the phone will be used | Official lookup | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | CTIA Stolen Phone Checker | Reads the shared stolen-phone list used by the major US carriers. |
| Canada | Device Check (CWTA) | Canadian carriers and the shared Canadian list. |
| Australia | AMTA lost and stolen check | Run by the mobile industry body. |
| India | Sanchar Saathi, Know Your Mobile | Also answers to a text message with the IMEI to 14422. |
| Pakistan | PTA DIRBS | Tells you if the phone is registered and allowed to connect. |
| Türkiye | BTK IMEI sorgulama | Needs an e-Devlet login. |
A buyer's routine that takes two minutes
- Ask the seller to dial *#06# on camera, or to photograph the IMEI on the phone itself rather than on the box. Boxes can belong to another handset.
- Type that number into the box at the top of this page and read the verdict and the answering sources.
- If the answer is anything but a clear clean, run the official register for the country where you will use the phone.
- Look at the lock line as well. A phone can be clean and still be tied to a carrier. See the carrier lock check.
- Only then agree a price, and pay in a way you can dispute.
What a free check cannot tell you
A blacklist flag is added after a report, and reports take time. A phone stolen this morning can still read clean this afternoon. That is the reason to check again on the day of the sale and to meet somewhere you can walk away from. Nothing here replaces a signed receipt that names the seller.
A blacklist is also separate from an account lock. A phone can be clean on every register and still be unusable because the previous owner's Apple or Google account is attached. For that, read the iCloud and Activation Lock page.
Questions people ask
Is a free IMEI blacklist check reliable?
It is reliable when it says "reported" and only partly reliable when it says nothing. A hit means a carrier or a shared register has flagged the phone. No hit means that the sources we could reach did not flag it, which is not the same as every network on earth being fine with it. That is why this page keeps a separate "inconclusive" answer and sends you to the official register for your country.
Why does my result say "inconclusive" instead of clean?
Because none of the databases that answered could confirm this exact IMEI either way. We would rather tell you that than paint a green tick on a phone we could not see into. Run the official register for your country before you pay, which takes about a minute.
Can a blacklisted phone be fixed?
Only by whoever reported it. Loss and theft reports are lifted by the owner or carrier that filed them; unpaid-balance blocks clear when the account is settled. Anyone offering to "clean" an IMEI for a fee is selling a scam or a cloned number. The blacklist removal guide on this site explains which blocks can lift and how long it takes.
Does the blacklist cross borders?
Not automatically. Most countries run their own register and only some share their lists with other countries. A phone blocked in one country can work in another until that second network checks it, so a phone bought abroad or imported needs a check against the register of the country where you will use it.
Do you store the IMEI I type in?
The number is sent to our lookup to get an answer. Results you save in "My checks" stay on your device unless you sign in. See the privacy page for the details.