Which IMEI check answers your question
A model check, a carrier and lock check, a full Apple report and a blacklist check answer different questions. Here is which one fits, what each really includes, and what the free check shows.
An IMEI check answers one question at a time: what the phone is, which network it is tied to, whether Apple’s records show a lock or a block, or whether it has been reported lost or stolen. Pick the report for the question you have — the cards above sell each one with its live price and usual time — and read what each actually includes before you pay. Most people buying a used phone need two: a carrier and lock check, and a blacklist check.
Find the IMEI first
- 1Any phoneOpen the dialer and type *#06#. The IMEI appears on the screen (two on a dual-SIM phone — use the first for a report; a blacklist report checks the one you give it).
- 2iPhoneSettings → General → About, scroll to IMEI. Apple’s page in the sources box lists the other places it is printed (the SIM tray on older models, the box).
- 3AndroidSettings → About phone → IMEI (Samsung: Settings → About phone → Status information).
- 4A phone you don’t haveAsk the seller for the IMEI before you pay, and run the check on that number. The guide to finding your IMEI has the details for every maker.
Which check for which question
| Your question | The check | What comes back |
|---|---|---|
| What phone is this, exactly? | The free check, or any paid report | The model behind the IMEI — the quickest way to confirm a seller’s listing. |
| Which network is it locked to, and is it locked at all? | The Apple Simlock/Model Status check for iPhones; the Samsung info report for Galaxy phones | The model, the carrier on record and the SIM-lock status. |
| Everything Apple holds on this iPhone | The Apple Full GSX report | Model and configuration, serial, warranty, purchase country and date, the carrier and activation policy, Find My, MDM, DEP and more — the fields are listed on its page. |
| Has it been reported lost or stolen? | The IMEI blacklist check | Whether the IMEI is on the reported-device block list, who reported it, why, when and where, with the date of the check. |
What the free check shows
The free check on our home page reads the model behind an IMEI, and before a carrier unlock it tells you which network the phone is locked to, so you order the right unlock. It does not include blacklist status, warranty or activation details; those come from the paid reports above. It is limited to a few checks a day per visitor.
What a paid report includes
Every paid report is a real lookup, not a form filled from the model number. The fields on each page are the fields that come back — the Apple Full GSX report page shows a masked sample of a real one — and a field a database does not hold comes back marked as unavailable rather than invented. Reports are delivered by email; most arrive within the time shown on the card.
Use the result
- 1Locked to a networkGo to that network’s page under Find your network: the carrier’s own free route first, our unlock when the phone doesn’t qualify.
- 2Reported lost or stolenWalk away from the purchase, or take it up with the seller. No unlock removes a report; only the carrier that placed it can. See what a blacklisted IMEI means.
- 3Clean and unlockedCheck that the model supports your carrier’s network bands — unlocking and compatibility are different things — then buy with the report in hand.