How to Do an IMEI Check on iPhone and Android

Q: How can I do an IMEI check for free?

You can do an IMEI check for free through Device Check , a free service provided the Canadian Telecommunications Association. The site will check your IMEI to see if it is “clean,” meaning it has not been lost or stolen.

By Kevin Kearney

Last updated 01 December 2023

Contents

In this guide:

Check your IMEI for free
Find a lost phone's IMEI
Unlock your phone with IMEI
Frequently asked questions

Whether you’re unlocking your phone, switching carriers, or locating a lost device, you’ll need your IMEI number, which is essentially your device’s fingerprint. Doing an IMEI check on any iPhone or Android is easy:

Open your dialer app. (This is what you use to make a phone call.)
Type *#06#.

Your IMEI number will then appear on your screen.

It gets a little more complicated if you’re looking for the IMEI of an iPad, tablet, or Apple Watch, but it’s still rather simple. Read on below and we’ll show you how it’s done, along with explaining how to find a lost phone’s IMEI and how to unlock a phone with an IMEI code.

How to do an IMEI check for free

Checking your IMEI is free—if someone’s charging you a fee for the service, run away! Here’s the best (and free) way to check your IMEI number fast.

How to check your IMEI number fast

Here’s the fastest way to do a free IMEI check on any iPhone or Android:

Open the dialer app. (This is what you use to place phone calls.)
Dial *#06#.

Once you press that second #, your IMEI number will appear on the screen.

If you’re looking for another way to check your IMEI on an iPhone, you can also go to Settings > General > About, then scroll down to find your IMEI number.

Screenshot of an iPhone About page — *The IMEI code for an iPhone is located just below where this screenshot ends. Why’d we crop it like this? Because we don’t want you to steal our number!*

Androids have a similar route, though it varies depending on the model. Generally, you can go to Settings > About phone, then scroll down to see the IMEI code.

What is an IMEI number?

An IMEI is a unique code assigned to a device connected to a cellular network. IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. It’s effectively a fingerprint or a way to distinguish the phone from the millions of other iPhones and Androids in the world.

Rendering of an Apple product's IMEI and serial number — *A mock-up of the kind of packaging you receive with your Apple device, which includes IMEI code and serial number.*

That may sound awfully similar to a serial number, but there is a crucial difference between the two numbers: an IMEI references the device’s connection to the carrier while a serial number references the physical device itself.

You don’t want to share your IMEI number with any strangers and you especially don’t want to post it online. If someone gets a hold of your IMEI, they can fake your identity, causing serious legal and financial headaches for you.

Anything that connects to a cellular network needs an IMEI number, including tablets and smart watches. Luckily, finding the IMEI on those devices is just as simple.

iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch

If you need to locate your IMEI on your Apple tablet or Apple Watch, it’s just as easy as checking it on your iPhone.

Screenshot of Apple Watch About page — *The IMEI number is easy to find on an Apple Watch, though we've blurred it out here.*

Open the Settings app.
Go to General.
Go to About.
Scroll down to find your device’s IMEI number.

You can also find your Apple Watch’s IMEI code from your iPhone. To do that, follow these steps:

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Go to General.
Go to About.
Scroll down to find the Apple Watch’s IMEI code.

Android tablet

Checking IMEI on an Android tablet isn’t much different from doing it on an Apple device. The exact steps might differ depending on the particular tablet, but generally you should do the following:

Open the Settings app.
Go to About tablet.
Scroll down to find your device’s IMEI number.

How to find a lost phone's IMEI

If your device was stolen, your IMEI number can be blocked to prevent illicit activity in your name. Whether it’s your iPhone or Android that’s disappeared, it’s still easy to find that phone’s IMEI.

Lost iPhone IMEI

If your iPhone was stolen, here’s how you can find your IMEI number without using the actual phone:

Go to appleid.apple.com.
Log in with the Apple ID you used for the missing device.
Select your iPhone from the Devices section.
Information about your device, including your IMEI, will be displayed.

Lost Android IMEI

If you’re missing an Android, the process is just as straightforward:

Visit android.com/find.
Log in with the Google account associated with your Android.
Your registered devices will be listed towards the top of the page. Select your missing device.
Tap the information icon next to the device. (It’s an “i” inside a circle.)
Your IMEI number will be listed.

Just a note: If your account is protected by two-factor authentication (2FA) with your missing device as the key, you may need to use another device or computer that is already authenticated. Otherwise, you’ll need a backup code that was provided when you enabled 2FA.

Blacklisted IMEI

If a phone has been lost or stolen, its IMEI number can be reported to the carrier, who will turn off its access to the cellular network, effectively blacklisting that IMEI.

Device Check, a free service administered by the Canadian Telecommunications Association, allows consumers to access information about a used device before purchasing it to ensure they’re not purchasing a phone with a blacklisted IMEI.

Unlock a phone for free with an IMEI number

Unlocking a phone in Canada is a savvy move: bringing an older device and to a BYOP plan can save you hundreds of dollars a year. It’s also an easy process, requiring little more than your IMEI number.

If you’re using a device purchased after 2017, you don’t need to unlock it. That was the year the CRTC passed a law requiring phones to be sold unlocked. If you’re using a pre-2017 model, though, here are the simple steps to unlocking it:

Find your IMEI number by dialing *#06#.
Locate the exact model of your phone.
Contact your new carrier and provide them with the information.

But before you unlock your phone, you’ll want to find a solid BYOP plan. We’re constantly on the lookout for great deals and update our list of the best cell phone plans in Canada every week.

We’re especially fond of Freedom Mobile’s 5G Unlimited 40GB CA-US plan, which offers a $5/month rebate when you bring your own phone. Freedom’s 5G network is smaller than Bell’s, Rogers’, or Telus’, but it’s expanded significantly since partnering with Videotron. If you’re looking for a BYOP plan with solid coverage and plenty of data, we think this is a great deal.

Carrier	Freedom Mobile
Data	Unlimited Data
Type	No Contract
Current Deal	Student Deal! Get $10/mo. off for 24 months when you activate on $50/mo. plan after Digital Discount + 3rd line Offer: $10/mo. credit when you activate a 3rd line with this plan
Total Price	$30 per month (for 24 months after $10/mo. off & Digital Discount) + $45 Upfront
	View Details

37 Phones Available

Want to see your other BYOP options? You can check out the most popular bring your own phone plans in Canada.

#1	Public Mobile	Public Mobile $34 Unlimited Canada-Wide Talk + Text + 50GB Unlimited 50GB at 5G full speeds up to 250Mbps Deal: Get $1.70/mo. in points value with Public Points + Receive a FREE eSIM with new activation only $34 + $10 Upfront Go	$34 + $10 Upfront	Go
#2	Freedom Mobile	Freedom Mobile $50 5G Unlimited 100GB CA-US plan Unlimited 100GB full-speed data at 5G Deal: Student Deal! Get $10/mo. off for 24 months when you activate on $50/mo. plan after Digital Discount + 3rd line Offer: $10/mo. credit when you activate a 3rd line with this plan $30/mth + $45 Upfront Go	$30/mth + $45 Upfront	Go
#3	Fido	Fido $15 Basic Plan with 100 Minutes + 250MB 250MB data $15/mth Go	$15/mth	Go
#4	Rogers	Rogers Infinite Extra Canada+US Plan Unlimited 75GB at speeds up to 1Gbps Deal: Get $15/mo. off this plan for 24 months when you bring your own phone $50/mth Go	$50/mth	Go
#5	Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile)	Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile) $39 Plan with 20GB Data and Unlimited Minutes 20GB at 4G speeds up to 150Mbps $39/mth Go	$39/mth	Go

IMEI check: FAQs

How do I check an IMEI number?

You can check an IMEI number by opening your dialer app and pressing *#06#. Your IMEI number will then appear on the screen.

How can I do an IMEI check for free?

You can do an IMEI check for free through Device Check, a free service provided the Canadian Telecommunications Association. The site will check your IMEI to see if it is “clean,” meaning it has not been lost or stolen.

How do I know if my IMEI is clean?

You can find out if your IMEI is clean by using Device Check, a website operated by the Canadian Telecommunications Association. The site operates a large database of lost and stolen IMEI’s and will inform you if your phone (or a phone you’re interested in buying) has been blacklisted, rendering it inoperable.

What do I do if my IMEI is blacklisted?

If your IMEI has been blacklisted because you’ve missed payments, you can might be able to clean the IMEI by completing the missing payments but you should confirm with your carrier before doing so.

If your phone has been blacklisted for another reason, your options are limited–and sketchy. There are websites promising to unlock your IMEI for a fee, but they don’t appear to be the most reputable. If you unwittingly purchased a phone with a blacklisted IMEI, we recommend explaining the situation to the carrier and hoping for the best.

Is an IMEI the same as an eSIM?

No, an IMEI is not the same as an eSIM. An IMEI is a number used to identify your device’s connection to a cellular network–it is effectively the device’s fingerprint. The eSIM allows you to connect to that cellular network.