Lost your Phone? You Can Still Retrieve its IMEI Number

Short answer: Dial *#06# on your phone to see the IMEI instantly, or find it in Settings, on the original box, or in your Google or Apple account. If the phone is already lost, retrieve the IMEI from your online account and report it to your carrier and the police so they can blacklist the device.

Every phone I have ever owned carries a 15-digit fingerprint called the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). It identifies the physical handset on any mobile network, independent of the SIM card inside it. When a phone is stolen, that number is what lets a carrier blacklist the device so it becomes useless on their network, and it is the first thing the police will ask for.

How do I find my IMEI number right now?

If you still have the phone in your hand, this takes about five seconds. Here are the reliable methods I use.

Dial *#06#

Open the phone dialer, type *#06#, and the IMEI appears on screen instantly. You do not press call on most phones; the code triggers automatically. Dual-SIM phones will show two IMEI numbers, one per SIM slot, plus sometimes the serial number and, on newer handsets, an EID for the eSIM.

Dig into Settings

On Android, go to Settings > About phone > Status (or IMEI information on some skins), and long-press the number to copy it. On an iPhone, open Settings > General > About and scroll to IMEI; you can press and hold to copy it.

Check the box and the tray

The IMEI is printed on the original retail box next to the barcode. On many iPhones it is also engraved on the SIM tray, and on older models on the back casing. I always photograph the box label the day I unbox a phone so I have a permanent record.

How do I get the IMEI if the phone is already gone?

This is the situation that actually matters. If you never wrote the number down, you can still recover it from the account tied to the device.

• Google account (Android): Sign in at your Google account device page. Select the missing phone and you can see device details. You can also open Find My Device, where the device profile lists model and identifiers.
• Apple ID (iPhone): Sign in at appleid.apple.com and scroll to the Devices section. Each device shows its IMEI and serial number.
• Carrier records: Your mobile operator logged the IMEI the moment the phone connected to their network. Call them and they can read it back after verifying your identity.
• Purchase receipt: Many retailers print the IMEI on the invoice at the point of sale.

What should I actually do when a phone is lost or stolen?

The IMEI is only useful if you act on it quickly. Here is the order I would follow.

Step	What to do	Why it matters
1. Locate and lock	Use Find My Device (Android) or Find My (iPhone) to locate, ring, lock, or erase the phone remotely.	Protects your data even if you never get the phone back.
2. Report to carrier	Give them the IMEI and ask them to blacklist the device and suspend the SIM.	Stops calls, data, and resale on that network.
3. File a police report	Provide the IMEI, model, and colour; keep the case number.	Required for insurance and any recovery.
4. Change passwords	Reset Google or Apple ID, email, and banking passwords.	The handset is a key to your accounts.

A tip most guides miss: blacklisting is often national, not global. A device blacklisted in one country can still be reactivated on a network in another country that does not share that blacklist database. So do not assume a blocked IMEI makes the phone worthless everywhere. Blacklisting still helps, but wiping your data and changing passwords protects you far more.

Can I trust IMEI checker websites?

Some legitimate services let you check whether an IMEI is reported as blacklisted, which is handy before buying a used phone. Be cautious: many sites promising to unlock or clean a blacklisted IMEI are scams, and changing a phone's IMEI is illegal in most countries. If you are buying second-hand, dial *#06# on the device, then verify that number against the seller's box and receipt before paying. A cheap physical accessory I always recommend is a labelled document folder for keeping boxes and receipts together; you can browse options on Amazon.

Frequently asked questions

Does removing the SIM card change the IMEI?

No. The IMEI belongs to the physical handset, not the SIM. The SIM has its own number called the ICCID. You can swap SIMs freely and the IMEI stays the same.

Can the police actually track my phone using the IMEI?

The carrier can see when a blacklisted IMEI tries to connect to their network, which can help. In practice, location tools like Find My Device or Find My give faster results, but the police still need the IMEI to link the case to the device.

What is the difference between IMEI and serial number?

The IMEI identifies the device on mobile networks and is standardized across all phones. The serial number is a manufacturer-specific code used for warranty and support. A lost-phone report usually needs the IMEI.

My phone has two IMEI numbers. Which one do I report?

Dual-SIM phones have one IMEI per SIM slot. Report both to your carrier and the police so the entire device is covered regardless of which slot was in use.