How to Check MEID Numbers and What They Mean for Your Phone

Have you ever sold, traded in, or unlocked a cell phone? If so, you may have encountered the acronym MEID, which stands for Mobile Equipment Identifier (or Mobile Equipment Identification). Along with IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), MEID is used to identify unique mobile devices on a wireless network.

MEID and IMEI numbers have similar purposes, but while one has become widely popular to this day, the other has already faded into near-irrelevance. Let’s run down the key attributes of MEID numbers and discuss why they matter for your iPhone or Android device.

What Are MEID and IMEI Numbers?

An MEID is a 14-digit number that’s similar to a serial number. It can identify a physical device on certain types of wireless networks. Meanwhile, an IMEI is a 15-digit number with the same end goal: to identify specific devices on a mobile data network. You can think of these numbers as being similar to Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) on cars or Social Security Numbers (SSN) for U.S. citizens and residents.

But why are there two of these numbers for mobile devices? Surely, we don’t need two different numbering systems for smartphones, do we? As it turns out, MEID and IMEI numbers are for two different types of mobile networks: MEID numbers line up with Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, while IMEI numbers are for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks.

At one time, both of these numbers had plenty of societal relevance, as both CDMA and GSM networks were once in wide use simultaneously. Today, however, GSM networks dominate the global mobile landscape, and CDMA networks are largely a thing of the past.

When you buy a phone nowadays, there’s a good chance that it only has an IMEI number and not an MEID number. That said, we’ll still run down the essential info you need to verify your device’s unique identifying number using MEID and IMEI checkers. But first, let’s explain why MEID numbers are mostly outdated.

CDMA vs. GSM: How the Battle for Network Supremacy Affected Mobile Serial Numbers

Back in the day, U.S. wireless carriers were split relatively equally between CDMA and GSM networks. Verizon and Sprint (which has since been bought out by T-Mobile) were CDMA carriers, while AT&T and T-Mobile used GSM networks. CDMA phones with MEID numbers only worked on CDMA networks, and GSM phones with IMEI numbers only worked on GSM networks.

This split was a big hassle for many consumers, as it made it difficult to switch networks. Eventually, something had to give. There were two defining factors in the battle between CDMA and GSM that turned GSM into the dominant option and CDMA into a distant memory.

SIM Cards

CDMA devices never had SIM cards. Instead, these phones were connected to the customer’s mobile network using its MEID number. Unfortunately, this meant that if you switched wireless carriers, you also had to switch phones. Meanwhile, GSM devices used removable SIM cards that allowed users to swap wireless providers while keeping their same phones. This was arguably the biggest factor in GSM’s eventual dominance over CDMA.

Carrier Mergers (T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.)

Back in the day, consumers had different options for wireless carriers that were often more regionally limited. Although there were plenty of exceptions to these basic rules, certain networks just worked better in certain areas. For instance, Sprint often offered the best coverage in the Midwest, but T-Mobile had the broadest coverage on the West Coast.

Once wireless companies started merging (like Sprint with T-Mobile), their networks were consolidated and expanded, and the regional coverage differences started to fade away. Today, each of the big three wireless providers (T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T) has a network with broad connectivity across the country.

These mergers also meant that carriers needed to figure out the CDMA vs. GSM battle. After all, Sprint was a CDMA provider and T-Mobile was a GSM provider. When these companies merged, they needed to streamline their operations. Since GSM had far better data capacity than CDMA (which was better for phone calls, but that’s about it), GSM eventually became the universal standard.

Why Your Phone’s MEID or IMEI Number Matters

There are a few good reasons to know your IMEI or MEID number, including…

• If you’re selling your phone or trading it in. Before you sell your device at an ecoATM kiosk or trade it in with a carrier/manufacturer/retailer trade-in program, the service will use an IMEI checker to make sure you’re the legal owner.
• If you’re unlocking a locked phone. If you haven’t finished paying off your phone, it will likely be carrier locked until you complete your payment plan. Looking up the IMEI number can determine whether the device is locked or unlocked.
• If you’re checking to see if a phone is stolen or lost. If you’re considering buying a used phone, always check the IMEI number first. Doing so can inform you if the device has been stolen or lost. This can not only help you avoid buying stolen phones, but it can also help their original owner get them back.

How to Find Your Device’s MEID Number

For the most part, you’ll only need to check an MEID number for older phones. New phones largely don’t bother with MEID numbers anymore because the technology they rely on (CDMA) is essentially dead. That said, locating a phone’s MEID is pretty easy and only takes a few simple steps.

Check the Settings Menu

For iPhones, this process starts with opening the Settings app. From there, tap “General,” and then tap “About.” Finally, scroll down until you find the device’s MEID.

For Androids, start on the Settings menu. Tap on “About Phone” or a similar header (this step might vary a bit depending on which brand and model of Android phone you have). Then, look for MEID to find your phone’s identifying number.

Look at the SIM Tray or Original Packaging

Most phones will also have the MEID printed on the original packaging. If you don’t have the box it came in, you can check it in the SIM tray instead. Not finding it in the SIM tray? Check the back of the phone if it’s an older model, or look under the battery if it has a removable battery. Between these four spots, you’re sure to find the MEID printed somewhere.

Connect It to a Computer

For iPhones, connect your device to a computer using a USB or Lightning cable. Then, open iTunes and navigate to the device summary page. From there, you can click on your device’s identifying number to reveal its MEID.

For Androids, this process also starts with connecting your phone to a computer. Then, you’ll want to install your manufacturer’s desktop software to look up the device details.

How to Find Your Device’s IMEI Number

Much like an MEID, your phone’s IMEI is usually easy to find. You can use the exact steps listed above to find your IMEI number, or you can use the following shortcut that only takes a few seconds:

Dial the IMEI Phone Number

All you need to do is dial *#06# from most smartphones. Once you do, your phone will respond by displaying a pop-up message with its IMEI number. For some phones, this method will also display the MEID and/or serial number.

Using the MEID or IMEI Number

What do you do once you have the identifier? First, you’ll want to use an IMEI checker to make sure the cellular phone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, identified as a potentially fraudulent device, or locked to a carrier’s payment plan. We recommend the free “IMEI Check Service” from IMEI.info.

Once you have the number, you can review the associated data and make sure the phone isn’t lost or stolen. This is also a great way to check the phone’s lock status. For example, if it’s locked to AT&T, you can get that info from verifying the phone’s MEID or IMEI number.

These numbers can help you verify that the device can be legally bought and sold, and also provide info about its locked or unlocked status.

What Should You Do if You Have a Device With a Blacklisted IMEI or MEID?

Once you have the identifying number and verify it with an IMEI checker, you’ll know whether it’s clean or blacklisted. If the MEID or IMEI is blacklisted, this means that someone reported it as lost or stolen before it reached your hands. It could even simply mean that the previous owner failed to finish paying off their monthly installment plan.

Regardless of the reasons behind the blacklisted status, this status unfortunately means that you won’t be able to active the device with any U.S. wireless carrier. Furthermore, ecoATM doesn’t accept blacklisted phones, as we follow industry standards and only buy and sell devices we’re legally allowed to.

Blacklisted phones also can’t be unlocked as easily as a device that’s locked to a carrier’s network. If the reason for the device’s blacklist status is a failure to satisfy the conditions of its financing plan, you’ll need to find its previous owner and get them to pay off the rest of their bill before you can get it off of the blacklist.

In short, there isn’t much you can do with a blacklisted phone. You can technically still use it over a WiFi connection, but it will have zero functionality on any wireless network for calls, texts, or data transfers. This isn’t as much of a deal-breaker with tablets, as Apple iPads are often only used over WiFi anyway. But with a phone, it’s a crippling blow.

If you bought a blacklisted phone without your knowledge, you should contact the seller and platform you bought it on immediately to demand a return. Most reputable resale platforms should have policies that accommodate situations just like this one.

How Does a Phone’s MEID or IMEI Status Affect the Resale Process?

As we’ve mentioned earlier in this article, it isn’t legally possible to sell a phone with a blacklisted IMEI or MEID. If you have a blacklisted phone, you’ll need to determine the reason for its inclusion on the list and then take any necessary steps to resolve the issue.

For instance, one of the most common reasons for a phone to get blacklisted is if its original owner failed to complete paying the installment plan. Therefore, that original “owner” was never the actual owner at all, and that person’s wireless carrier was the true owner of the phone all along.

These situations can be tricky because they typically involve finding the previous owner and convincing them to finish paying their original payment plan, which can be easier said than done, even if it is their legal responsibility to comply. The other option is to contact the phone’s wireless provider and pay the phone off yourself, which doesn’t really feel fair if you unknowingly bought a blacklisted device.

If the MEID or IMEI doesn’t appear on the blacklist, you can rest assured that you’re legally allowed to sell it, trade it in, drop it off at an ecoATM kiosk, etc.

How to Sell a Phone with a Clean MEID or IMEI Number

If your phone isn’t blacklisted, you’re good to go and can begin the process of selling it. But what should you do with your old phone? There are so many places to sell phones these days that it can be exhausting trying to figure out which one has the best combination of great pricing and hassle-free processes.

Pawn shops are notorious for bargain-basement offers and lengthy back-and-forth negotiations. Online marketplaces often require you to create and maintain a product listing, haggle with potential buyers, wait through lengthy shipping processes, and more. Meanwhile, official trade-in programs with retailers, wireless service providers, and manufacturers usually only offer store credit as payment, and even then, the rates they pay are often quite low.

Sell Your Old Phone With ecoATM

Here at ecoATM, we truly believe that we offer the best of all worlds for anyone looking to sell an old phone. We offer competitive rates with instant cash payments, or you can choose a digital payment through PayPal or Venmo. With over 6,000 kiosks across the country in safe, secure retail locations, it’s easy to find the ecoATM kiosk nearest you.

All you need to do is get an initial pricing quote on our website or bring your device to a kiosk to get an evaluation and an estimate. Then, prepare your phone for resale by backing up your personal data, logging out of your accounts, and restoring the phone to its original factory settings.

From there, all you need to do is attach your phone to the kiosk, accept our instant cash offer, and walk away with cash in your pocket (or a higher balance in your PayPal or Venmo account). ecoATM’s ease of use is one of the reasons we’ve been able to recycle over 50 million phones and tablets already.

Bring your iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy device, and many other used electronics to your local ecoATM kiosk today and find out how much instant cash you can get for your old devices. Plus, you’ll be helping us protect the environment and promote a greener future for the planet.

Frequently Asked Questions About MEIDs

Are MEID and IMEI numbers the same thing?

Although these two types of identifiers are very similar, they’re not identical. Both of these numbers are used to identify devices on a wireless provider’s network, but MEID numbers were traditionally associated with CDMA devices, whereas IMEI numbers are linked to GSM phones. Because GSM won the wireless war against CDMA a long time ago, IMEI numbers today are much more common and relevant than MEID numbers.

Can two devices have the same MEID or IMEI?

No, it’s impossible for two devices to have the same identifier, and it’s also not possible for one device to have two different IMEIs (or two different MEIDs). Each MEID and IMEI is unique to the device itself. If you find two phones that have the same identifier, one of them is probably a counterfeit or clone of the other.

Is an MEID a serial number?

Serial numbers and MEID/IMEI numbers are two different things. An MEID or IMEI number is used to identify a device on a mobile network. Meanwhile, a device’s serial number identifies it within its manufacturer’s inventory (for example, Apple uses serial numbers to sort and organize its iPhone models).

What is an ESN? How does it relate to MEID/IMEI?

If MEID is an outdated version of IMEI, ESN is an even more antiquated version of MEID. ESN is an acronym for Electronic Serial Number. ESNs were the standard back before MEID and IMEI hit the scene. If you have a really old CDMA phone, it might still have an ESN, but for the most part, these numbers have been obsolete for years.