Surely you heard about IMEI at some point, either when you bought your cell phone or when you tried to do some process with it, because now you will understand the importance of this number, good number because it is made up of 15 digits, each mobile phone has a fingerprint that makes it unique and protects it and that is the IMEI.
This is a 15-digit number that identifies you. In English it is called International Mobile Equipment Identity, which in Spanish translates as “international mobile equipment identity”. But everyone knows it by its acronym: IMEI.
It is made up of four sections: the first six digits —Type Allocation Code (TAC)— explain the country in which it was created, the next two —Final Assembly Code (FAC)— let you know who the manufacturer is, followed by the number of serial number (SNR) and, finally, a check digit (although not all of them have one).
Enter the code * # 06 # on the keyboard of your cell phone: The IMEI will be automatically displayed on the screen.
Click on the “Settings” menu, inside the “About phone” option and you will find it.
Look under the battery; you will see a sticker with the printed number.
Look for it in the device box, on the back of your phone, or in your SIM card tray (if it’s an iPhone).
Good. You already have your IMEI code and you know what it means. But what can you use it for?
1. Lock the cell phone
The first and most popular in our country is the possibility of blocking it when it is lost or stolen, in this way you ensure that no one accesses your personal data. All you have to do is call your operator and provide the code: the terminal will be blocked immediately. The number will also be used to report the theft (the more information you provide, the better), this is clear if you intend to apply any previously contracted insurance, remember that this type of insurance does not usually apply if the theft process was not generated with violence , so remember to specify it to make it effective.
2. Unlock it
Good! You found the lost cell phone!
How to unlock it now? Very simple: use the IMEI and call your operator again.
But you should keep in mind that the unlocking process is not as fast as the blocking process: it could take up to two months.
3. Release it
The IMEI can also be used for what is known as “unlocking” the mobile phone. This process allows you to use the device for a company other than the one that sold it to you.
Before, it was a complicated system that only experts knew about and that was offered in a number of stores. Today, many operators provide tools for this.
Through the companies website you can do it. What do you need? Again, the IMEI code. Once you have entered it, you will receive an unlock code in a matter of seconds.
For these reasons it is very important that you identify and have the IMEI of your mobile device(s) backed up in a safe place, you never know when you might need it and when that happens it is always urgent. See you next time and while that’s happening dial now *#06# and save your IMEI in an email.