The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number can uniquely identify your cell phone. Cellular carriers can use your IMEI number for security purposes.
However, there are many misconceptions about IMEI numbers. Some of you might doubt whether the IMEI number belongs to your phone or to the SIM card.
So in this article, we explain whether the IMEI number belongs to your phone or the SIM card.
Does Your SIM Card Have An IMEI Number?
Your SIM card doesn’t have an IMEI number. The IMEI number uniquely identifies your phone, not the SIM card.
Your phone’s IMEI number is stored on the phone’s EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory).
Your SIM card, on the other hand, is independent of your phone’s IMEI number. That’s why you can use different SIM cards on your phone even though the phone has the same IMEI number.
Does Your eSIM Have An IMEI Number?
Like physical SIM cards, eSIMs also don’t have IMEI numbers. IMEI is tied to your phone, not to your physical SIM or eSIM.
Can You Change Your Phone’s IMEI Number By Installing A New SIM?
You can’t change your phone’s IMEI number by changing your SIM card. As we explained before, the IMEI number is tied to your phone, not to the SIM card.
Changing the IMEI number can also be illegal. It can also void your phone’s warranty.
Is It Possible To Find The Phone Number Using The IMEI Number?
You can’t find the phone number using the IMEI number without the help of a cellular carrier.
The phone number is independent of the IMEI number. The same phone with a given IMEI number can use different mobile numbers by swapping SIM cards. So IMEI number alone can’t identify the phone number.
However, cellular carriers can have IMEI numbers and their current mobile numbers in their databases. So they can find the phone number using the IMEI number.
Can A SIM Card Be Locked To A Single IMEI Number?
Usually, SIM cards are not locked to a single IMEI number. So you can use a single SIM card with different phones without any issues.
However, some carriers can lock their SIM cards to a single registered phone with a given IMEI number. You can’t use such SIM cards with any other phone.
If your SIM card is locked to a single IMEI number, the carrier will check if the IMEI number of your phone matches the registered IMEI.
If you put the SIM card on a different phone, the carrier will not allow the SIM card to connect to their network.
Why Does Your Dual SIM Phone Have Two IMEI Numbers?
Dual SIM phones have two IMEI numbers; one IMEI for SIM slot 1 and another for SIM slot 2.
The two SIM slots of a dual SIM phone work independently of each other. Each SIM slot effectively acts as a single SIM phone, and the mobile network also treats each SIM slot as an independent device.
Therefore, each SIM slot should have its own unique IMEI number to work properly in the mobile network.
Final Thoughts
SIM cards don’t have IMEI numbers. The IMEI number is tied to your phone, not to the SIM card.
So You can’t change your phone’s IMEI number by using a different SIM card. It is also not possible to find the phone number using the IMEI number without help from a carrier.
Single SIM phones only have a single IMEI number, but dual SIM phones have two IMEI numbers.
