How to find out IMEI of a phone and what is this serial number for?

Even in the second decade of the twenty-first century, not all owners of mobile devices know that their phone or communicator is assigned a unique code called IMEI. You can translate the decoding of this intricate abbreviation into Russian as “international identifier of a mobile device”. This article will tell you how to find out the IMEI of the phone and what benefit the owners of "mobile phones" can bring this fifteen-digit code.

The manufacturer sets a unique code for each unit of mobile equipment at the factory. In this case, fifteen (this number in rare cases may be different), the numbers are sewn into the device not only programmatically, but also hardware. Such serial numbers are necessary for various reasons. Using this identification code, any telephone, communicator or 3G modem can easily be found on the network of any mobile operator, which greatly facilitates the search for devices stolen or illegally imported into a country. Only a few years ago, units of our compatriots knew how to check the IMEI of their phone. However, now the situation has changed radically.

In recent years, control over mobile phones shipped to the CIS countries has increased several times, which is enshrined in a number of bills. Such a policy, according to officials, should help fill the treasury by importing certified goods to the domestic market, and can also significantly facilitate the work of law enforcement agencies in finding stolen phones. Therefore, information on how to find out the IMEI of a phone could be found on almost every corner - this was done so that every mobile user could check the "serial" of their mobile phone independently. This information was successfully circulated by the media, sellers of mobile phone stores explained to customers, and even employees of internal organs tried to convey to citizens.

Finding out an IMEI phone is actually quite simple. And there are several ways to do this. The easiest of them is to turn off the mobile phone, get the battery out of it and look at the information under the place where the battery is located. It is there that you will find a sticker on which the cherished fifteen digits are indicated. But how do I know the IMEI of a phone without disconnecting it? To do this, just dial a simple combination * # 06 #, after which the "serial" of the mobile device will appear on the display. If after dialing this combination on the screen of your phone two IMEI codes are displayed, then do not panic. Most likely, you are using a device with two SIM cards, and a serial number is assigned to each GSM module, that is, each of the two “SIM cards” is served by a chip with its own “name”. Do not forget that IMEI is also indicated on the phone box and is always written in the documents when buying.

When purchasing a new mobile gadget in the store, it is advisable to check its serial number in all the ways described above, compare it with the numbers indicated on the box, and check that the seller correctly writes these numbers in the warranty card.

All mobile device users should not forget that any attempt to change IMEI is illegal and may lead to administrative or even criminal liability. In fact, replacing the serial number on the phone is the same operation as “interrupting” the numbers on the car’s engine. Also, one should not forget that it is impossible to meet two identical “serial numbers” on two different cell phones, and IMEI, consisting of only zeros, is also a sign that fraudsters have changed it.

Now that you know how to find out the IMEI of a phone in various ways, you can not be afraid to fall into the hands of scammers who offer to buy an “illegal” or stolen device.