An IMEI is a unique identification number for every mobile device made. It helps to differentiate between each phone individually and is used by makers to encode key information about that particular device.
You can think of it as your phone’s VIN number basically. The 15th digit set contains information such as the phone’s maker, production location and serial number.
While, normally, you won’t need it, it’s still important to know it or write it down somewhere in case you lose your phone or it gets stolen.
In this article, I will talk about what an IMEI is and why you must have knowledge about it as insurance if something happens and the few ways to find it.
Get IMEI from Google Dashboard
There are other methods listed in this tutorial, however, if you want to learn how to get IMEI number from Google follow this tutorial →
Why IMEI should matter to you
Let’s say you recently bought your new iPhone 11 straight from the Apple Store and unfortunately, after just a month of usage, one day you realize that you lost it. Unless someone finds it and contacts you, chances are, it’s lost forever.
If something similar happens, an IMEI can help you prevent others from using it. You see, with the help of your carrier, your lost phone could at least be blocked from calling and receiving messages/calls as well as connect to the internet.
In this case, the loss of a phone will be at least a tiny bit less heartbreaking.
The same applies if your phone gets stolen. Bad people will probably try to resell it as a second hand product and blocking its functions at least prevent them from any profit.
How to find your phone’s IMEI?
There are a couple of ways that you can locate the IMEI number on your device.
Method #1 – type in *#06#
Arguably the most simple one is to dial/type in the combination – “*#06#” in your phone’s pad. The IMEI data will be displayed on your screen.
There are a couple of ways you can go about finding your device’s IMEI. The most universal approach is to head to your device’s dialer app. Tap in *#06# and the IMEI will be displayed on the screen.
Method #2 – phone settings
Another way to check your IMEI number is to go to your phone’s settings, pressing About then Status and IMEI data. While this destination will be different depending on your maker and device type, it’s generally is the place where you can locate your IMEI info.
Method #3 (for older phones) – removable back
Lastly, in older phone models you’ll be able to locate IMEI number on the back of your phone, under the removable cover. The reason why this works for older phones is the fact that new Iphones and Androids alike, don’t have a removable back cover on them.
Conclusion
Your phone’s IMEI information can be very useful in the case where your phone was lost, stolen and for someone who’s willing to buy a used one. In order to have extra insurance, go learn your IMEI key and save it just for that occasion.
This tutorial presented by techfloyd.com
