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Did You Know Your Phone Might Have Two IMEI Numbers?

Why Your Phone’s Identity Crisis Isn’t a Bug — It’s a Feature

Syed Anees Khan
Technology Hits
5 min readJan 3, 2025

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our Phone Might Have Two IMEI Numbers. Image by Author, with Dall-E

Recently, I saw a movie. It was a scene where a supposedly-clever Sherlock Holmes-type character was impressing his peers by tracking a criminal using his IMEI. While my co-watchers were impressed, I was silently smirking. I’m a tech guy after all. And I saw through that BS. No, not every phone has a single IMEI ID that allows this to be possible.

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Wait, My Phone Has TWO IDs?

Imagine this: you’re at the phone shop getting your shiny new phone activated. The shop assistant asks for your phone’s IMEI number. You proudly open the settings and read it out loud, only for them to ask, “Which one?” Wait, which one? Isn’t one IMEI enough? Are they trying to confuse you or sell you insurance you don’t need?

Don’t worry; this isn’t a tech conspiracy. In fact, your phone having two IMEI numbers is as normal as your grandma asking if you’ve eaten. But what does it mean, and why should you care? Let’s dive in, decode the mystery, and find out why your phone has more than one IMEI number — and no, it’s not because it’s trying to moonlight as a spy.

What Even is an IMEI Number?

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Technology Hits
Technology Hits

Published in Technology Hits

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Syed Anees Khan
Syed Anees Khan

Written by Syed Anees Khan

Syed Anees Khan is a Singaporean freelance web, mobile and software developer, for some decades since 1995, and is running Getcha Solutions. (www.getcha.com)

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