Today we are going to talk about what is the IMEI number, why is it important, and how to find it out on Android or iOS. Knowing the IMEI of a smartphone is really important in terms of security, as it will allow you to lock your phone remotely if it has been lost or stolen, but also you need it if you are about to unlock your phone to use it with another operator.
What is IMEI number?
The IMEI number is a little better understood when we look at the meaning of its acronym: International Mobile Equipment Identity. In other words, this is a completely unique identifier number in the world (unless we have a clone in our hands).
The IMEI is therefore unique and no other smartphone on the planet can have the same IMEI number. That is why it can be used to remotely lock the phone in case of theft or loss.
The IMEI code of our phone (and any other) is composed of a total of 15 digits divided into four blocks with a very specific function (somewhat reminiscent of the IBAN number of our current account). We would speak of four specific parts within the IMEI which are the following:
TAC Code: The TAC or ‘Type Allocation Code’ consists of 6 digits that indicate in which country the smartphone was manufactured. In addition, the first two of these six digits indicate the RBI, the organization that is responsible for regulating phone sales.
FAC Code: The FAC or ‘Final Assembly Code’ is the next two digits and indicates the manufacturer of our smartphone. Each manufacturer has a unique FAC that is not reused even if the manufacturer disappears at some point in the future.
Serial number: This is the next six digits of the IMEI and it is the serial number.
Verification code: This is the last digit of the IMEI and its function is only to verify that the rest of the code is correct. It is a number that allows, by means of an algorithm, to verify that the code is correct.
How to find out IMEI number on an Android?
Let’s start with the most popular operating system on the planet, Android. These phones have their own method to locate the IMEI and we show you how to check it in a few simple steps:
- Open the phone’s ‘Settings’.
- We look for the ‘Phone information’ section.
- Inside we will find a section called ‘Status’ or similar.
- There we will see a section called ‘IMEI‘
- According to the model you have, the steps may vary but it should be practically the same.
How to find out the IMEI number on an iPhone?
Apple also has its own system for accessing the IMEI code in iOS. Just follow these steps:
- We access the ‘Settings’ of our iPhone.
- Go to the ‘General’ section.
- Then we enter ‘Information’.
- Inside we will find several data about the phone and the IMEI number will be there.
No matter which iPhone model you have the process will be the same.
How to find out IMEI number on any mobile operating system?
If you have an older device, there are some other ways to find out the number. We will simply have to open the phone dialer of our phone and enter the following code: *#06#.
Then, our phone will show us a section with some detailed data, and the IMEI number will be among them. Again, this code is also valid for Android and iPhone.
