The one dial code that works on every phone
Open the phone app and dial *#06# — including the star and the hash. Don't press the green call button; the IMEI pops up automatically. Works on iPhone, Android, feature phones, and even most tablets with cellular. This is the fastest way and it works before the phone is set up (you can do it from the emergency dialer on the lock screen).
On dual-SIM phones you'll see two IMEIs. Either one is a valid identifier; when in doubt, screenshot both and check both on our phone check.
Where to find the IMEI on an iPhone
- Dial
*#06#— quickest. - Settings → General → About — scroll down. You'll see IMEI, MEID, and serial number.
- SIM tray: on iPhone 6s through iPhone 13, the IMEI is engraved on the SIM tray itself. Pop it out with a paperclip and hold it under a light.
- Back of the phone: the original iPhone SE (1st gen) has it laser-etched on the back. Later models don't.
- iCloud.com → Devices: if you can sign into the Apple ID that owns the phone, every device tied to it lists its IMEI.
- Original box: printed on the barcode sticker.
Where to find the IMEI on an Android
- Dial
*#06#— same as iPhone. - Settings → About phone → IMEI (exact path varies by manufacturer — Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, and OnePlus all put it under About).
- Battery compartment on removable-battery phones. Increasingly rare.
- Original box and the sticker on the charger case, if present.
- Google account → Your devices lists the IMEI for devices signed in with your Google account.
How to get the IMEI from a seller before you meet
This is the whole point of the exercise for used-phone buyers. Ask the seller directly:
"Can you send me a photo of the IMEI? Dial *#06# on the phone and screenshot it, or send me a photo of the SIM tray or the back of the box."A legitimate seller sends it in under a minute. A seller who dodges the request, claims their phone can't dial codes, or sends you an IMEI that doesn't match a plausible model is telling you what you need to know. Once you have the number, run it on our free phone check before you agree to meet.
Confirm the IMEI at the meetup
The number the seller sent you and the number on the physical phone should match. Two-minute check at the meetup:
- Dial
*#06#on the phone yourself. - Compare the 15-digit number to the one the seller messaged you.
- If it's an iPhone with a SIM tray, pop the tray and compare that IMEI too.
- Any mismatch = walk. Non-matching IMEIs mean the phone has been re-shelled from a different device or the seller sent you the IMEI of a different (clean) phone.
How to find your own IMEI if the phone is already gone
If your phone was stolen and you didn't write the IMEI down, you can still find it — you'll want it for the police report and the carrier block:
- iPhone owner: sign into iCloud.com → Find Devices, or Settings → [your name] → scroll to the missing device on any other Apple device signed into your Apple ID.
- Android owner: Google Play → Settings → My devices lists the IMEI. So does google.com/android/find.
- Both: your carrier account (My Verizon, My AT&T, T-Mobile app) lists the IMEI of every line on the plan.
- Original box or receipt. The label with the barcode also has the IMEI printed on it.
What the IMEI actually tells you
The 15 digits are structured: the first 8 identify the make and model (the Type Allocation Code), the next 6 are the unique serial, and the last is a checksum. That's why an IMEI check can verify the model matches the phone the seller claims — a "brand new iPhone 15 Pro" whose IMEI resolves to an iPhone 11 is a different kind of red flag entirely.
When you're ready, drop the number into our stolen-phone check. It runs the IMEI against carrier blacklist status and community-reported theft records at the same time.