In these times of crisis, many of our readers have probably considered buying a used Android smartphone . In today's market, online stores, brick-and-mortar shops, and carrier buyback programs offer them at very competitive prices. However, outside the official market, individuals also offer used devices in good condition online, sometimes at incredibly low prices. It's precisely in these situations that the app we're discussing today can be most useful.
In this case, we'll show you the simplest, and above all, free way to find out if the IMEI of the phone you're trying to buy is correct—that is, if it matches the phone they're selling you. If it doesn't, the chances of it being stolen are high. In other words, if its previous owner reported it stolen to the authorities and now a thief is trying to sell it to you, it's very likely they'll try to alter the original IMEI.
For those who are a little lost with technical jargon in the mobile world, let me explain that the IMEI is a unique number that identifies each device on the market . It consists of 15 digits, and there are several ways to find it, which vary depending on the manufacturer and operating system. We'll detail these methods below.
Where can I find the IMEI of the second-hand mobile I want to buy?
- If the terminal is delivered with a box or they have it at their disposal, ask them to look in it, since manufacturers usually place the sticker with the IMEI here.
- In some models of mobile terminals they also place it inside the phone, just under the battery cover.
- If neither of the two cases is yours, you will have to look it up in the system. To do this, you can dial * # 06 # on the keyboard and wait for the code to be returned to you or through Device Settings.
How do I check if that IMEI is the real one?
Once you know the IMEI number of the Android phone you intend to buy, checking if it has been tampered with is quite easy. The trick is simply to access resources that have access to databases of stolen devices worldwide, and in this case, we'll use International Numbering Plans . By going to the website through this link, you'll see an image similar to the one shown in the screenshot at the beginning of this post.
All you have to do is enter the IMEI number we showed you how to obtain earlier in the paragraphs above into the IMEI field. This tool will return a series of data, including a gradient bar that goes from the deepest red to the brightest green. Your IMEI number will be located between these two colors. The key takeaway is that if the phone you're checking is shown in red, then the IMEI is completely fake. If it appears in green, and the data matches the phone you have, and the offer to sell the used smartphone seems good to you, then go ahead, because it's perfectly legal.
Do you usually check the IMEI when buying second-hand phones ? Did you know that if it's a stolen phone, they could claim it from you even if you paid for it? Having a website like this handy can certainly save you from some trouble.
More information – Used Samsung Galaxy S3 models are starting to be sold at very low prices
