How to Find Your Phone's IMEI or MEID Number

Your phone or tablet has a unique IMEI or MEID number, one that distinguishes it from other mobile devices. You may need this number to unlock your cell phone or tablet, to track or detect a lost or stolen cell phone, or to see if your phone will work on another carrier's network. Here's how to find the IMEI or MEID on most mobile phones and cellular-enabled tablets.

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. It's a unique 15-digit number assigned to all cellular devices.

The 14-digit MEID stands for Mobile Equipment Identifier and is similarly meant to identify a mobile device. It is sometimes know as an Electronic Serial Number (ESN). You can translate the IMEI to an MEID by dropping the last digit.

CDMA mobile phones and tablets on Sprint and Verizon networks get a MEID number, while GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile use IMEI numbers.

A number of different methods are available to locate these numbers on a wide range of phones. Try these until you find the one that works for you.

Dial a special number. On some phones, you can open the phone dialing app and enter * # 0 6 # (star, pound sign, zero, six, pound sign, without the spaces). Even before you hit the call or send button, your phone will pop up the IMEI or MEID number for you to take a screenshot of or write down.

Check the back of your phone. The IMEI or MEID code could be imprinted or engraved on the back of your phone, particularly for iPhones (near the bottom). 

Check your battery. If your phone has a removable battery, the IMEI or MEID number could be printed on a sticker on the back of the phone, behind the removable battery. Power down the phone, then take off the battery cover and remove the battery to find the IMEI and MEID numbers.

If you have an iPhone, or an iPad with cellular service, you can look up your IMEI and MEID numbers using these methods.

Check Settings on your iPhone. On an iOS device, tap Settings > General > About and then scroll down to find the IMEI and MEID numbers. Tap and hold either the IMEI or MEID to copy the number to your clipboard for pasting elsewhere.

Check in iTunes. As an alternative for iPhone and iPad users, you can connect your device to your computer, open iTunes, and select your connected device. In the left menu under Settings, click Summary. In the device details to the right, click on the displayed phone number; it will cycle through the MEID, IMEI, ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier that identifies your SIM card).

Check Settings on Android. Go to your device's Settings (usually by dragging down from the top navigation menu and tapping the profile icon, then the Settings gear icon). From there, scroll down to the bottom and tap About Phone. Then tap ​Status. Scroll down to find your IMEI or MEID number.

Check Your Google Dashboard. Sign into your Google Dashboard. Scroll down to the Android section and click on the arrow to expand it. Here you'll find a list of all your devices and the IMEI numbers for each.