Find your IMEI without the phone
The IMEI is a 15-digit number that identifies the handset, not the SIM. Carriers and police use it to block and identify the device. You can find it without holding the phone.
- 1
Your Google account
Sign in at myaccount.google.com on any device, open Security, then 'Your devices'. Select the stolen phone and look for the IMEI in its details. Google's Find Hub also shows device details for phones registered to the account.
- 2
The box or receipt
The IMEI is printed on a sticker on the retail box, and often on the invoice or the carrier's order confirmation. Dual-SIM phones have two IMEIs; report both.
- 3
Your carrier
If you bought the phone from a carrier or used it on their network, they have the IMEI on file and can read it from their records when you call.
- 4
For next time
Dial *#06# on any phone to display its IMEI, or find it in Settings under About phone. Take a screenshot and save it somewhere that is not only on that phone.
Carrier: SIM block and IMEI blacklist
Call your carrier or use its app and ask for two things. First, block the SIM (or eSIM) so the thief cannot receive your calls and verification codes or run up charges. Ask for a replacement SIM with the same number. Second, ask them to blacklist the IMEI so the handset is refused on their network.
In many countries carriers share their blacklists through a common register, so a blocked phone stops working on other networks in that country and sometimes abroad. Coverage varies, and a blacklisted phone can still be sold for parts or shipped to a country outside the register, so do not skip the police report.
Some countries run a government portal for this. India, for example, has the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), where the owner can block a stolen phone's IMEI after filing a police complaint and later unblock it if the phone is recovered. Check your own country's regulator or carrier website for the local process.
Police report: what to bring
A police report is what insurers, carriers and some IMEI registers ask for. Bring the following so the report is complete the first time.
- Your ID (passport if you are abroad) and a contact number that still works
- Make, model, colour, storage size, case and any marks on the phone
- The IMEI (both, for dual-SIM phones) and your phone number
- When and where it went missing, and how: pickpocketed, snatched, taken from a table, left in a taxi
- The last location shown by Google's Find Hub or Alert24, with the time, as a screenshot
- Intruder photos from Alert24 if any were taken, with their time and location
- Proof of purchase if you have it; the insurer will ask for it anyway
Sharing intruder photos and locations with police
If Alert24 photographed whoever picked up or tried to unlock your phone, or if Lost Mode captured photos after the theft, those images sit in your Alert24 intruder gallery with the time and, when location was allowed, the place. When Remote Access is on and you are signed in at alert24.in with the same Google account, you can also see them from another device. Read how Lost Mode works.
Hand this evidence to the police and let them act on it. Do not post the photos online, send them to the person, or go to the location yourself. A face in a photo is not proof that person stole your phone; they may have found it, bought it or been handed it. Let the police decide what it shows.
Give the police the screenshot, the exact time and, if they ask, sign-in access to view the gallery with you present. You do not need to give anyone your Google password.
Country notes
Procedures differ. These are common patterns; confirm the details on an official website for your country before you rely on them.
| Where | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Most of Europe | Report at a police station or, in several countries, through an online form for non-urgent crime. You receive a reference number for the insurer. Use emergency numbers only if you are in danger. |
| United Kingdom | Report to the police online or by phone for a crime reference number. Ask your network to block the SIM and IMEI; UK networks share a blacklist. |
| United States | Report to the local police department. Carriers share a stolen-phone database, so ask yours to blacklist the IMEI and block the SIM. |
| India | File a police complaint, then block the IMEI on the government's CEIR portal. Your carrier blocks the SIM and issues a replacement. |
| Travelling | Report in the country where it happened. The insurer usually needs that country's report, not one filed at home. Contact your embassy only if you also lost your passport. |
Frequently asked questions
Can the police track my phone with the IMEI?
Police can request location information from carriers in some countries, usually for serious cases. Do not expect it for a single phone theft. Your own tracking through Find Hub or Alert24 is far more likely to give a useful location.
Will blocking the IMEI stop the thief using the phone?
On networks that use the blacklist, yes. The phone can still connect to Wi-Fi and may work in countries that do not share the list. Combine it with a remote lock through Google's Find Hub.
I found the phone. Can I unblock the IMEI?
Usually yes, through the same carrier or portal that blocked it, with your police report reference. Tell the police the phone was recovered as well.
Does Alert24 report the theft for me?
No. Alert24 gives you alarms, photos and a last location. Reporting to the police, the carrier and the insurer is still yours to do.
Have evidence next time
Alert24 photographs whoever handles your phone and, with Remote Access on, shows you where it last was. Set it up on the phone you still have.