Losing your iPhone doesn’t mean you’ve lost its IMEI. Chances are, it’s already saved somewhere; you just need to know where to look. In this article, I’ll step you through six ways to find your IMEI number without your iPhone.
How to find your IMEI number without your iPhone
1. Look at the Original Retail Box
The easiest way to find your IMEI number without your iPhone is on the original retail box. When you bought your iPhone, it came in a sealed box with accessories and a manual. The IMEI is printed on a label near the barcode. You just have to flip the packaging to see it.
Note: iPhone 14 models and later don’t have an IMEI engraving.
2. Check Your Email Invoice or Purchase Receipt
If you didn’t keep the box your iPhone came in, check the email you used to buy the phone. Retailers and mobile carriers usually send confirmation emails after the sale. That message carries the IMEI number, phone model, and serial number. Open your email app and search for the store or carrier from which you bought your iPhone.
You can also use keywords like “order confirmation,” “invoice,” or “receipt” to narrow down the results. Don’t forget to check your spam or junk folder in case it ends up there. If you can’t find anything, log in to the website or app where you bought your iPhone. Check your order history and download the invoice or receipt. The IMEI number is usually in the product details or billing info.
For purchases from Amazon or other online stores, sign in, check past orders, and find the purchase details. If you bought your iPhone in-store, check the receipt for the IMEI number. If it’s missing, ask store employees for help. I once lost my receipt after buying an iPhone locally, but the store reissued it after verifying my purchase.
3. Check Your Apple Account
You can easily find your IMEI number without your iPhone on Apple website. Here’s how:
- Go to account.apple.com in a web browser.
- Sign in to the Apple Account that you use on your iPhone.
- Choose Devices option from the menu.
- Select the iPhone you want to see the IMEI number.
- Scroll down to the About section. That’s where you’ll find details about your iPhone, including its IMEI number.
4. Use another iOS device
Another way to find your IMEI number without your iPhone is to use a different iOS device that’s signed in to your Apple Account. The other device need to be running iOS 10.3 or later. On that device, go to Settings > [Your name]. Scroll down to see any devices signed in to your Apple Account. To view the IMEI number, tap the name of your iPhone.
5. Try an IMEI Finder Site
Some online tools, like imei.info, let you check a phone’s details by entering its IMEI. Though these tools won’t generate an IMEI for you, they can confirm if the one you have is correct. You’ll get details like the phone’s brand, model, and warranty status.
This is useful if you’re verifying a suspected IMEI, sorting through old documents with unclear labels, or even matching devices to see which IMEI belongs to which phone.
6. Contact Customer Support of Your Carrier
If nothing else works, Apple or service provider might still be able to help you. They could have a record of your invoice, which usually includes your IMEI. Or, if you’ve activated the phone with them before, they might be able to look it up in their system.
Contact their customer support or live chat and explain your situation. Be sure you have proof of ownership and any ID they might ask for. Once they verify your info, they’ll check their records and give you the IMEI tied to your iPhone.
These are some quick and easy ways to find your IMEI number when your iPhone isn’t around. I’ve tried a few of these, and they’ve been helpful when I needed the number quickly. Give them a shot, and once you’ve got your IMEI, save it somewhere safe so you’re not scrambling to find it again later.
