Free IMEI Check: Is This Phone Stolen?
Enter any 15-digit IMEI to check a phone before you buy it. The free IMEI check shows the make and model and searches theft reports and public web results. It works for iPhone, Samsung, Pixel and every other phone with an IMEI. Need the number first? See how to find the IMEI on any phone.
2 free checks · No credit card · Updated October 7, 2026
Quick answer
How do I check an IMEI for free?
Dial *#06# on the phone to show its 15-digit IMEI, then enter it on SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/imei-checker). The free check shows the phone's make and model and searches SafeOrStolen theft reports and public web results for that IMEI. A free account includes 2 checks with no credit card. If you also need to know whether carriers have blacklisted the phone as lost or stolen, run the paid blacklist check.
What this IMEI check covers, and what it does not
| Question | Does SafeOrStolen answer it? | How |
|---|---|---|
| What make and model is this IMEI? | Yes, free | Shown with every IMEI check, so you can compare it to the phone in the listing |
| Has an owner reported this phone stolen on SafeOrStolen? | Yes, free | Searches SafeOrStolen's own theft reports |
| Does the IMEI show up in listings or posts online? | Yes, free | Searches public web results that mention the number |
| Is it on the carrier lost/stolen blacklist? | Yes, paid | The blacklist check. Monthly members get up to 20 a month |
| Is it still on someone's Apple Account or Google account? | No | Check on the phone: the seller erases it and you start setup |
| Is there money owed on it, or is it carrier-locked? | No | Ask the original carrier, and check the lock status in the phone's settings |
What your result means
Every result lists the sources it searched and is saved to your account with the date, so you have a record that you checked before you paid.
| Result | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Reported stolen | The IMEI matches a theft report in the sources searched | Don't buy it. Keep the listing and messages and pass them to local police |
| Possible match | Something close to this IMEI turned up, such as a listing or post that mentions it | Open each source listed and compare the details before you go further |
| No report found in the records searched | Nothing matched in the sources listed on the result | Good sign, not a guarantee. Still check the account lock and test the phone in person |
Stolen vs blacklisted: why there are two checks
A theft report and a blacklist entry are different things. A theft report says someone lost this phone to a thief. A blacklist entry means a carrier blocked the IMEI, which can happen after a theft or loss report, and a blocked phone won't make calls or use mobile data on participating networks.
A phone can have a theft report and no blacklist entry if the owner never called their carrier, or a blacklist entry with no police report. That's why the free check searches theft reports and the web, and the paid check looks at the blacklist. Our guide to what a blacklisted IMEI means explains the blacklist in more detail.
Free IMEI check vs the CTIA Stolen Phone Checker
In the US, the wireless industry group CTIA runs its own free Stolen Phone Checker for lost and stolen reports. It's a separate service and SafeOrStolen does not query it for you. Running both costs nothing, and SafeOrStolen adds the model lookup, owner theft reports, public web results and a dated record of your check.
What a Phone check looks for
An IMEI is the 15-digit number that identifies a phone on cellular networks. Owners give it to police and carriers when a phone is stolen, so it is the number that ties a phone to a theft report. For a full walkthrough of a used-phone purchase, read how to check if a phone is stolen, or how to check if an iPhone is stolen for Activation Lock.
Step by step
Ask the seller to dial *#06# and send you a screenshot of the IMEI before you agree to meet.
Enter the IMEI here and check that the make and model match the listing.
If the phone is expensive or the price looks too good, run the paid blacklist check too.
At the meetup, dial *#06# yourself and make sure the number matches the one you checked.
Have the seller sign out of their Apple Account or Google account and erase the phone, then start setup yourself before you pay.
Type the IMEI into the search box. SafeOrStolen reads the make and model from the number, then searches its own theft reports and public web results. You get one of three results in a few seconds: reported stolen, possible match, or no report found in the records searched, with every source listed. The paid blacklist check adds the carrier lost/stolen blacklist.
Why check before you buy
If you buy a stolen phone, police can return it to the owner and you lose what you paid. A blacklisted phone may stop working on your carrier days after you buy it. Checking the IMEI before you meet, and matching it on the phone when you do, catches the most common problems: a stolen phone, a blocked phone, or a seller who sent you the IMEI of a different phone.
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