eSIM and IMEI: What Changes and What Doesn't
eSIM changed how we activate phones. It did not change the IMEI.
eSIM replaced the little plastic card with a profile downloaded straight onto the phone, and that convenience has led to some confusion about identifiers. The short version: eSIM changes how a SIM is provisioned, not the phone's IMEI, which remains the permanent hardware identity it always was.
Because the IMEI belongs to the radio hardware, an eSIM-only phone still has one, and you still retrieve it the same way — *#06# or Settings. Many modern phones support both a physical SIM and an eSIM at once, which is why they report two IMEIs: one per radio path. Either can be used for a lookup.
For checking purposes, eSIM devices behave like any other. Carrier lock, blacklist and activation-lock status all key off the IMEI regardless of whether the active line is a physical card or a downloaded profile. An eSIM-only iPhone, for example, is still subject to Activation Lock exactly as a SIM-tray model would be.
One practical wrinkle: because there is no tray to inspect, verify an eSIM phone's IMEI through *#06# and Settings and confirm they agree. The absence of a physical card does not reduce the need to match the number to the device before buying.
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Check an IMEI free →Common questions
Does eSIM change the IMEI?
No. eSIM changes how the SIM profile is delivered; the IMEI is tied to the hardware and stays the same.
Why does my phone show two IMEIs?
Dual-SIM phones have two radio paths — often one physical SIM and one eSIM — so they carry two IMEIs. Either works for a check.
Can I check an eSIM-only phone by IMEI?
Yes. Retrieve the IMEI via *#06# or Settings and check it exactly as you would any other phone.
Is activation lock different on eSIM iPhones?
No. Activation Lock applies to the device regardless of whether it uses a physical SIM or eSIM.