Basics · 5 min read
How to find the IMEI when you cannot open the phone
Carriers, Apple, and Google all ask for it. You can usually get it without unlocking anything.
The IMEI is a 15-digit identity burned into the radio. It is not a secret unlock code. It is how a carrier looks up financing, blacklist status, and SIM policy.
If you can still place an emergency call, try *#06# in the dialer. Many phones show the IMEI without a passcode.
If you cannot, look at the SIM tray (older iPhones, some Androids), the box barcode, or the original receipt. On iPhones without a SIM tray, Settings is closed to you — use the box, Apple’s device list on the owner’s account, or a carrier bill.
A second IMEI is normal on dual-SIM hardware. Give the carrier both if they ask. Do not invent a number; they will notice.
IMEI “unlock sites” that promise to clear stolen flags or rewrite the number are not a path we will send you down. If a check says lost/stolen, that is a police and carrier matter, not a tutorial.