Android Check IMEI Number

If you are looking for a few methods that you can use to find the IMEI number for your Android smartphone then look no further. This guide will show you some simple and common ways of locating the IMEI number for pretty much any smartphone running on the Android Operating System.

The International Mobile Station Equipment Identity or IMEI on a smartphone is a unique set of numbers and letters that identifies your phone or tablet. Although the IMEI number is not located right in front of you, finding it is not a difficult job and there are many different methods to find it.

Even if you have lost your phone, you can still find your IMEI number through different methods and report that it is lost. If you are wondering where you can locate the IMEI number on an Android smartphone, you can find it within the settings of the device using these steps.

IMEI through the Dialer

There are actually a few ways to locate the IMEI number on your smartphone, and one of the quickest and easiest methods is to use a special star code. By entering this star code into your phones dial pad the phones IMEI number should pop up on your display and you will know exactly what your phones IMEI number is.

This is the simplest method of finding your phone’s IMEI number. The good thing about this method is that it is more or less universal. It works on almost all feature phones and smartphones. If you try to access your IMEI number through the dialer and it doesn’t seem to want to work then your phone doesn’t support this method and you can proceed to one of the other techniques listed in this guide.

Finding the IMEI Number through the Dialer: Dial *#06# on your Keypad as though you were calling a telephone number. The IMEI should automatically pop up. Here you steps:

  1. Tap on your Home key to go to your main screen.
  2. Tap on the green Phone icon in the bottom left of the screen.
  3. Make sure that the Keypad tab is selected and type *#06# into your keypad just like you would if you were dialing a telephone number.
  4. Your IMEI is the number displaying on the screen.

IMEI Through the Settings

This may differ depending on the make and model of your phone as well as the version of Android that it is currently running on. If different then the Samsung Galaxy S4 running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which was used for this guide, then you may have to poke around in your settings a little bit in order to find it.

The general location is pretty similar on most Android devices though so you shouldn’t have too much trouble locating it through your phones settings.

  1. Go to your main screen by tapping on the Home key.
  2. Press the Menu Key (on the S4 and many other Android smartphones) is on the bottom of the phone to the left of the Home key.
  3. Tap Settings. Make sure that the More tab is selected if it isn’t already selected (More tab is located in the upper right of the screen).
  4. Scroll down and select About device. Tap on Status.
  5. Scroll down until you see the IMEI.

But wait… How can I find the IMEI number if my phone won’t power on?

Through the Google Dashboard

If your Android device is connected to a Google account then you can also see your IMEI number from Google Dashboard. This is the perfect solution if you have misplaced your cell phone or if you no longer have access to it for whatever reason. Just sign in to Google Dashboard with the account that was connected to your Android phone.

The Google Dashboard can be accessed on just about any device capable of utilizing the World Wide Web. While I prefer using a computer to access the Google Dashboard as it seems to be easier to read and navigate, this site can be accessed through a PC, Tablet or even a smartphone. Since the topic of this guide is how to locate the IMEI number for an Android cell phone I figure that the following instructions should be shown utilizing an Android cell phone as well.

Open your web browser and type in google.com/dashboard. Then press “Go” or “Enter” to access that webpage. You will need to enter the Email and Password of the Primary Google Account information on this window. Make sure to log in to the Primary Google Account of the phone which you are trying to discover the IMEI number on.

Once you have logged into your Google Accounts Dashboard you should be presented with a list of features associated with your Google Account. Look for and tap on the Android section for additional information regarding the Android device(s) which utilize your Google Account.

This additional information will include the Android’s Device Identifier (its IMEI or MEID number) along with many other specifications for that device including its Manufacture, Carrier and even possible Backup data stored from the Android device to your Google Account.

Looking Under the Battery

Those are the two of the best methods that can be used to find the IMEI number on an Android smartphone, but if your phone won’t power on, it’s unresponsive or if you are unable to navigate on your device then the above methods are going to be hard if not impossible to use.

Don’t panic though your smartphones manufacturer thought of this too. Information such as the FCC ID, SKU, S/N (Serial Number), Model Numbers, and you guessed it the IMEI number can be found printed somewhere on the device, usually in the battery compartment.

If your cell phone doesn’t have a removable battery, and you do not have access to the battery compartment, then the IMEI number may be located in another place such as the SIM card tray. IMEI number is located on the purchase slip and also the box of the phone (generally, at the sides). This is quite handy as even if your phone is lost or stolen, there is a good chance you still have the phone’s retail box.

Just be ready, if you need to locate the IMEI using this method then the numbers can be printed extremely small and might be difficult to read without your reading glasses or a magnifying glass. Otherwise if you cannot access your IMIE through the dialer or through the phones settings for any reason then reading it from the printed label will be the best option available.