IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) – This is the identifier of the radio module installed in the mobile device (phone, tablet, smart watch, etc.). Do not confuse, this is not the identifier of the phone, it just so happened that the radio modules are part of the phone. Now everyone believes that IMEI is a phone identifier, no it is not. But if you have a phone with two Sim cards, then by dialing *#06# you will receive information about the two IMEI numbers of your phone. This is information about the assigned number of the radio module, since the phone has two radio modules and IMEI will have two numbers. Typically, two IMEI numbers do not differ much in the same device. IMEI is assigned to radio modules of the GSM, WCDMA and IDEN standard. These are devices working in 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE networks.
IMEI what is it for?
Despite the fact that there is a lot of information about IMEI on the Internet, it is not complete and it is difficult to understand why IMEI is used, we will try to tell more simply.
Why was invented IMEI
With the advent of mobile devices, the question arose of how to identify the subscriber who uses the network. There is a SIM card but it is removable. The police and other government agencies responsible for security were interested in resolving this issue. It was decided to assign an individual number to the device that uses the mobile network by which it is possible to uniquely identify the device even when changing the sim card.
Why are there two IMEI numbers on my phone
You will see two IMEI numbers if your phone has two radio modules (you can install two Sim cards in the phone). Since IMEI identifies the radio module, you will see IMEI1 and IMEI2. One radio module for one Sim card, the second for another.
Why mobile operators supported the introduction of IMEI
Mobile operators willingly supported this initiative in some countries due to state requirements, in other cases, operators are interested, as they also benefit from it.
Mobile operators benefit from the use of IMEI, on the one hand, in the event of any illegal actions, they cannot be blamed for inaction. On the other hand, operators can also block the device by IMEI upon request of the phone owner in case of theft. Of course, not all mobile operators in the world support the exchange of information, and if for example in the USA the phone is blocked by IMEI, then in Mexico it will work. Also, if you bought a locked phone and can prove the legitimacy of the purchase, the operator can disable the lock, but you need to pay from $ 10 for this service (for example, in the USA)
IMEI number decoder explained mean
Decrypting IMEI is simple, but in most cases it is not necessary. But in some countries, checking IMEI you can see if the phone is blacklisted and blocked. And also by IMEI, you can additionally specify the phone model number and if technical specifications are available.
IMEI decryption example 869493026608130
86 – the code of the organization that receives the application from the manufacturer and enters information into a single register. The device in which the radio module is installed is entered into the register. 86 – TAF Registrar China. Now we know who entered the device into the registry.
IMEI country code
Many people think that the first digits are the country code. This is a mistaken opinion, the first two digits of the IMEI code of the organization that entered the information into the registry. The manufacturer of the mobile device can contact any organization.
Codes of organizations registering IMEI
| Code | Registrar Organization IMEI | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | Test IMEI | Nations with 2-digit CCs |
| 01 | PTCRB | United States |
| 02 – 09 | Test IMEI | Nations with 3-digit CCs |
| 10 | DECT devices | |
| 30 | Iridium | United States (satellite phones) |
| 33 | DGPT | France |
| 35 | Comreg | Ireland |
| 44 | BABT | United Kingdom |
| 45 | NTA | Denmark |
| 49 | BZT / BAPT | Germany |
| 50 | BZT ETS | Germany |
| 51 | Cetecom ICT | Germany |
| 52 | Cetecom | Germany |
| 53 | TÜV | Germany |
| 54 | Phoenix Test Lab | Germany |
| 86 | TAF | China |
| 91 | MSAI | India |
| 98 | BABT | United Kingdom |
| 99 | GHA | For multi RAT 3GPP2/3GPP |
Device Code (Phone Model)
949302 – The next six digits are the device code. The manufacturer claims that it plans to produce, for example, a new iPhone 20 model and asks to assign a code. In these phones will be installed radio modules in which information about IMEI is sewn. 949302 the device code on it will be clear that this is iPhone20, in our example it is a Huawei phone. Depending on the number of phones produced, technical specifications, one model can be assigned several codes.
As a rule, manufacturers enter all the information about the device in which the radio module is installed. This allows you to identify the device as accurately as possible. From our IMEI example, you can find out the following information about the phone. To check IMEI, the site was used https://www.imei.info/
IMEI.info: Model:Y6 PRO TIT-U02 (TIT-U02) Brand:HUAWEIIMEI: TAC: 869493 FAC: 02 SNR: 660813 CD: 0
| smartphone | |
| Design: | Classic |
| Released: | 2015 r. |
| DualSIM: | |
| SIM card size: | Micro Sim |
| GSM: | 900 1800 1900 |
| HSDPA: | 850 900 1900 2100 HSPA+ |
| Dimensions (H/L/W): | 143.1 x 71.8 x 9.7 mm, vol. 99 cm³ |
| Display: | LCD IPS Color (16M) 720x1280px (5.0″) 294ppi |
| Touch screen: | |
| Weight: | 160 g |
| Battery: | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
| Built-in memory: | 16 GB |
| Memory card: | MicroSD max. 128 GB |
| RAM Memory: | 2 GB |
| OS: | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Chipset: | MediaTek MT6735P |
| CPU #1 freq.: | 1300.0 MHz (4-core) |
| GPU Type: | ARM Mali-T720 MP2 |
You can also find out the detailed technical characteristics of the device, including the camera resolution, the number of pixels that are installed, audio and video codecs, and a lot of other information.
86949302 – this combination is called TAC (Type Approval Code). Registrar code + code assigned by phone. Until 2004, this number was called TAC + FAC (869493 + 02). FAC was the identifier in which country the device was manufactured. But since 2004 it has not been used, although some manufacturers continue to provide information, but very often it is not correct.
660813 is the serial number of the radio module, not the telephone. SNR (Serial Number Radio module)
Why the serial number in IMEI does not match the serial number of the phone
You might wonder why the IMEI serial number does not match the serial number of the phone. And it’s just that the serial number of the radio module is recorded in IMEI. And the phone has its own serial number.
IMEI Checksum
0 is the checksum of the IMEI number, C (control) using the checksum allows you to more accurately identify fakes. The checksum is calculated using the Moon algorithm.
