IMEI guides
Plain-language answers to the questions behind an IMEI lookup — where to find the number, what each part of it means, and the honest limits of what a check can prove.
- What is an IMEI?
An IMEI is the 15-digit number that identifies a mobile device. What each part means, and what it can and cannot tell you.
- How to find your IMEI
Four ways to find the IMEI on any phone — the *#06# dial code, device settings, the SIM tray, and the original box.
- What is a TAC?
The TAC is the first 8 digits of an IMEI. It identifies the make and model of a device, and it is what a free IMEI lookup actually reads.
- How the IMEI checksum works
The last digit of an IMEI is a Luhn checksum. How it is calculated, what it catches, and — importantly — what it does not prove.
- What an IMEI check cannot tell you
A free IMEI lookup identifies a device and validates its checksum. It does not prove a phone is unstolen, unlocked, or safe to buy. Here is the line.
- iCloud activation lock and the IMEI
Apple retired its public activation lock checker in 2017. What that means for IMEI-based iCloud checks, and the one method that actually proves a device is clear.
- IMEI registration checks by country
Some countries run their own IMEI registries — Pakistan's PTA, Turkey, India's CEIR. What those national checks cover, and why they are separate from a device lookup.
- Checking a used phone before you buy
A practical checklist for buying a second-hand phone: verify the IMEI matches the device, confirm the model, and know which risks a lookup cannot cover.
- IMEI vs serial number vs MEID
Phones carry several identifiers and they are not interchangeable. What IMEI, IMEISV, serial number, MEID and EID each identify.
- Dual-SIM and eSIM IMEIs
A dual-SIM phone reports IMEI1 and IMEI2, and an eSIM carries its own. Why one handset has several IMEIs, and which one to use for a lookup.
- Is it safe to share your IMEI?
An IMEI is not a password and cannot be used to unlock or track a phone. The real risks are narrower than the scare stories — and worth knowing precisely.
- Checking devices at scale
Notes on IMEI checking as a business process — intake screening, what identification does and does not cover, and how to get in touch.
Check an IMEI free — brand, model and checksum, or browse by brand.