What Is an IMEI Number? A Plain-English Guide
The 15-digit fingerprint every phone carries — what it is, where to find it, and why it matters.
IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. It is a 15-digit number assigned to every cellular device at the factory, and unlike a phone number or a SIM, it belongs to the hardware itself. Swap SIMs, change owners, cross borders — the IMEI stays put.
The number is not random. Its opening digits form the Type Allocation Code, which identifies the make and model, which is how a lookup can name your exact device before it checks anything else. The remaining digits identify the individual unit, with a final check digit that guards against typos.
To see yours, dial *#06# on the keypad and it appears instantly. You will also find it in Settings, printed on the original box, and etched on the SIM tray of many phones. Dual-SIM devices carry two IMEIs, one per radio.
Because the IMEI is unique and permanent, networks and databases use it as the anchor for everything: whether a phone is locked to a carrier, whether it has been reported lost or stolen, and — in the manufacturer's own systems — whether its warranty is still active. That is why a single number can unlock a phone's entire history.
How to find your IMEI on any phone
Your IMEI never changes, so any one of these methods returns the same 15-digit number. The dial code works on essentially every cellular handset — the rest are handy when the screen is locked, the phone is off, or all you have is the box.
- Dial *#06#
Open the phone app, type *#06# on the keypad, and the IMEI appears instantly — no call is placed. This works on iPhone, Android and basic feature phones alike. A dual-SIM phone shows two IMEIs, one per line, and either is valid for a check. - On an iPhone
Go to Settings then General then About and scroll to the IMEI line; you may also see an MEID and, on eSIM models, an EID. On older iPhones the IMEI is laser-etched on the SIM tray, and on the iPhone 6 and earlier it is printed on the back. - On Android — Samsung, Pixel, Motorola, OnePlus
Open Settings then About phone then Status information (sometimes labelled IMEI information). Samsung lists it under Settings then About phone then Status; Pixel and most others show it on the About phone screen itself. - On the SIM tray or the back of the device
Many phones have the IMEI micro-printed on the metal SIM tray or on a label under a removable battery, so you can read it without powering the handset on at all. - On the original box
The IMEI is printed on the barcode sticker of the retail box, usually beside the serial number. It is the quickest way to vet a used phone before the seller even hands it over — then repeat *#06# on the handset to confirm the two agree. - In your carrier or manufacturer account
Your carrier app or online account lists the IMEI of every device on the plan, and Apple owners can see it in the devices section of their Apple ID account page.
Check any IMEI 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.
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Common questions
How many digits is an IMEI?
A standard IMEI is 15 digits. You may occasionally see a 16- or 17-digit IMEISV, which adds a software-version suffix.
What does an IMEI number look like, and what do its digits mean?
It is always a 15-digit number — for example 351234567890124 (an illustrative sample, not a real phone). The digits are not random; they follow a fixed structure. The first 8 (here 35123456) are the Type Allocation Code, which identifies the make and model, so a lookup can name your device before it checks anything else. The next 6 (789012) are the serial number that makes this individual unit unique within that model. The final digit (4) is a check digit calculated from the other fourteen, so software can catch a single mistyped number. A longer 16-digit variant is the IMEISV, which replaces that check digit with a two-digit software-version code. If dialling *#06# returns anything other than a clean 15-digit number — a blank, all zeros or "null" — that is a red flag, not a formatting quirk.
What does it mean if my IMEI shows as 0, blank, or "null"?
It is a warning sign. A genuine IMEI is always a 15-digit number, so if *#06# or Settings returns 0, all zeros, "null", "unknown", or nothing at all, the phone's IMEI has been erased, corrupted, or never written correctly — often after a botched software flash, a grey-market repair, or a deliberate attempt to hide a blacklisted device's real identity. A handset with a missing or invalid IMEI usually cannot register on a cellular network at all: no calls, texts or mobile data, and some carriers reject it outright. If a used phone you are looking at shows a blank or zero IMEI, treat it as a serious red flag — do not pay until a valid 15-digit number appears that matches the original box and returns a clean lookup.
Is the IMEI the same as a serial number?
No. The serial number is the manufacturer's own tracking code; the IMEI is a globally standardized cellular identifier used by networks worldwide.
Can two phones share an IMEI?
They should not. A duplicate usually signals a cloned or tampered device, which is a serious red flag when buying used.
Does changing my SIM change the IMEI?
No. The IMEI is tied to the hardware, not the SIM or phone number, so it never changes when you switch SIMs.