The problem of losing a network identifier or the need to change the country of device registration often poses a question to users how to change IMEI on Android. This unique 15-digit code serves as your smartphone's passport on cellular networks, allowing operators to identify equipment and block stolen gadgets. In some situations, for example, when recovering from an unsuccessful flashing or when using a device in roaming with regional restrictions, the user may need to intervene in the operation of the modem.
However, it is worth immediately defining the boundaries of what is permitted: in most countries of the world, including the Russian Federation, independently replacing this number is illegal and may entail administrative or even criminal liability. Telecom operators are actively implementing monitoring systems, such as Afara or GSMA Device Check, which instantly detect discrepancies between factory data and actually transmitted signals. Therefore, any change must be carried out exclusively for legal purposes, for example, to restore the original number that was accidentally erased by a software failure.
The process of modifying deep system parameters requires availability root access and an unlocked bootloader, which automatically voids the device's official warranty. If you decide to go this route, you need to be aware of all the risks: from the complete inoperability of the communication module to the smartphone getting into the operator’s “black list”, after which it will be impossible to restore it even in a service center. Next, we will look at the technical aspects of working with NVRAM and methods that theoretically allow you to make changes, but remember the high degree of responsibility.
Legal aspects and risks of blocking the device
Before embarking on any technical manipulations, it is critically important to understand the legal field. Changing the factory equipment ID amounts to forgery or communications fraud in many jurisdictions. Telecom operators are required to comply with regulatory requirements and block devices with invalid or duplicate numbers. If your phone starts broadcasting a number that is already listed in the database as stolen or incorrect, the network will simply disable access to communication services.
⚠️ Attention: Using apps to clone IMEI from another device is a criminal offense. Never copy a number from someone else's phone, as this will lead to blocking of both devices the first time you access the network.
Modern smartphones store identifier data not only in the software part of the firmware, but also in a protected area of the modem's memory, often called NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory). Attempting to write incorrect data to this area may damage the antenna calibration coefficients. As a result, the phone may lose the ability to hold a signal, the Internet speed will drop to a minimum, or the device will completely stop seeing the SIM card. Restoring factory calibration without special service equipment (boxes like Octoplus or Z3X) is often impossible.
In addition, many highly secure banking applications and services (Google Pay, banking clients) use mechanisms to verify system integrity. The presence of a modified bootloader or traces of interference in system files, characteristic of an IMEI change, can lead to a failure of these applications. You will receive a device that is fully functional in terms of calls, but will not be able to make contactless payments or run secure software.
Checking the current status and legality of the procedure
The first step before any action should be to diagnose the current state of the device. You need to verify whether the number is actually changed or damaged and find out its original meaning. The standard verification method is to enter the USSD command *#06# in the dialer. This command displays the current ID read by the modem. However, if there are deep modifications to the system, this method may show fake data, since some disguise tools intercept the output of this command.
For a deeper check, it is recommended to use the engineering menu or special diagnostic applications that read data directly from partition memory sections. On devices with processors MediaTek the code ##3646633##often runs that opens the menu Engineer Mode. In the section Connectivity -> CDS Information -> Radio Information you can see the technical parameters of the radio module. If the IMEI fields are empty or contain zeros, this indicates damage to the NVRAM partition, which sometimes allows you to legally restore the serial number indicated on the box or under the battery.
It is also worth checking the status of the device in global databases. There are many online services that allow you to enter your current number and find out the blocking history, device model and country of purchase. If the service shows that your phone is on the list of stolen ones, and you are its legal owner, you need to contact the operator or the police with documents about the purchase, and not try to change the number yourself. Changing it yourself in this case will only aggravate the situation and make the phone a “brick” in the eyes of the network.
Technical methods: root access and working with system files
You cannot use standard Android tools to make changes to the hardware identifier. Requires superuser rights (SuperSU or Magisk). The rooting process varies depending on the model and version of Android, but the general principle is to unlock the bootloader and flash the modified image boot.img. Without this access level, any attempts to write to system partitions will be rejected by the system kernel.
After obtaining Root access, users often turn to specialized software. One of the most famous tools in the past was Xiaomi Tool or various versions Chamelephon. These applications try to write the new number into the corresponding memory cells. However, on Android 10 and higher, the protection mechanisms have been significantly strengthened. The system uses partition signature verification (Verified Boot), and any attempt to change critical data without re-signing the image will result in the phone not booting or the changes being reset upon reboot.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with Qualcomm processors, changing IMEI often requires the use of paid professional boxes and drivers in EDL mode. Software methods through applications often do not work on new versions of Android.
An alternative software method involves using the framework Xposed (or its analog LSPosed for new versions of Android). This approach does not change the physical number in the modem memory, but replaces it at the operating system level for applications and the network. A module such as IMEI Changer, intercepts system requests to hardware and returns a dummy value. This is a safer method from the point of view of the risk of “bricking” the modem, since the physical memory is not damaged, but it may be unstable and may not work with some telecom operators that check the ID at the base station level, and not through OS requests.
☑️ Preparing for modification
Instructions for devices based on MediaTek (MTK)
Smartphones on chips MediaTek have historically been the most vulnerable to such manipulations due to their data storage architecture. To work with them, a utility Mobile Uncle MTK Tools or a direct connection via USB in Preloadermode is often used. The process begins by entering the engineering code to activate the entry. If the code does not work, you may need to use ADB commands to send special signals to the modem.
Consider the algorithm of actions through the engineering menu, which is the least invasive:
- 📱 Enter the code
##3646633##to enter Engineer Mode. - 📶 Go to tab
Connectivityand selectCDS Information. - 📝 Select item
Radio Information(for SIM 1) orRadio Information 2(for SIM 2). - ✏️ At the top of the screen, find the line starting with
AT+EGMR=1,7,. After the comma, enter a new 15-digit number. - 💾 Press the button
Send ATto send the command.
It is important to note that in new versions of MIUI firmware and other shells, the command AT+EGMR can be blocked at the modem software level. In this case, entering the command will not produce results, even if you have root access. Some users try to get around this limitation by installing special patches or modified versions of the Baseband, but this is an extremely risky procedure. An error in the baseband version can lead to a complete loss of communication, which can only be corrected by flashing the entire device using the SP Flash Tool.
What is an EFS partition?
The EFS (Encrypted File System) partition contains your device's unique data, including IMEI, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth MAC address, and antenna calibration data. Damage to this section makes the phone unusable on cellular networks, even if the operating system itself is working properly. Always make a backup copy of EFS before any experiments. Features of Qualcomm and Samsung Exynos processors Here the data is stored encrypted and simple AT commands do not work. To interact with a Qualcomm modem, it is often necessary to switch the device to
Features of Qualcomm and Samsung Exynos processors
Devices based Qualcomm Snapdragon And Samsung Exynos have much more reliable protection against unauthorized changes to identifiers. Here the data is stored encrypted and simple AT commands do not work. Interacting with a Qualcomm modem often requires setting the device to EDL (Emergency Download Mode), which is usually achieved by hardware shorting contacts on the board or special combinations of buttons when connecting to a PC.
Software for working with devices such as QPST (Qualcomm Product Support Tools), allows you to view and edit settings, but access to the IMEI entry is blocked by digital certificates. Without an authorized account and a license key, it is impossible to change the number legally through the software. That is why there are complex hardware solutions on the market that emulate service center authorization. For an ordinary user, attempting to use hacked versions of such apps risks installing malware on the computer or permanently blocking the phone.
| Platform | Difficulty of changing | Main method | Risk of loss of connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| MediaTek (old) | Low | Engineering menu / AT commands | Medium |
| MediaTek (new) | High | SP Flash Tool / Patches | High |
| Qualcomm | Very high | QPST + Authorization (Boxes) | Critical |
| Samsung Exynos | Critical | Service software (Z3X/Octoplus) | Critical |
On smartphones Samsung the situation is complicated by the presence of a counter Knox. Any tampering with the system partition required to change the IMEI will irreversibly blow this fuse. This means you'll lose your warranty forever and won't be able to use Samsung Pay, Secure Folder, or some banking apps, even if you change the settings back. Owners of Samsung flagships should especially carefully consider the need for such a procedure.
Restoring the original IMEI after a failure
The most legitimate scenario for using knowledge about changing IMEI is restoring the original number after a software failure. This happens when installing custom recovery is unsuccessful, flashing the modem with an incompatible version, or resetting the settings on some specific builds. If in the engineering menu you see zeros instead of a number, but it is indicated on the box, your task is to return the factory value.
You don’t have to use hacking utilities for this. Often it helps to completely flash the device with the official stock firmware via recovery mode or a computer. During the flashing process, installation scripts can automatically restore values from a backup in the partition persist or from the factory settings of the chip. If the software method does not help, you will need to extract a dump of the EFS/NVRAM partition from exactly the same working phone (donor) of the same model and version, which is a complex procedure, most likely accessible to service center specialists.
Always take a photo of the IMEI sticker on the box and save your purchase receipt in cloud storage. This is the only proof of the legality of your device, which will help restore the number through the telecom operator in the event of a failure.
⚠️ Attention: If the IMEI is not restored after the firmware, do not try to enter it manually through the engineering menu without precise knowledge of the command format for your specific version of the modem. This may lead to the number being recorded incorrectly (for example, with an error checksum), and the phone will be blocked by the network forever.
Alternative solutions and conclusions
Given all the above risks, the complexity of the procedures and legal restrictions, for most users changing the IMEI is a an unjustified step. If the problem is that the operator has blocked the phone due to non-payment or loss, the only legal solution is to pay off the debt or contact law enforcement. If the problem is incompatibility of frequencies or regional restrictions, this is most often solved by setting up access points (APN) or flashing regional versions of the software without interfering with the equipment identifier.
The modern ecosystem of mobile networks is moving towards completely linking the device to the subscriber and his biometric data. Under such conditions, “gray” methods of circumventing restrictions are becoming less and less effective. Operators see not only the IMEI, but also the IMSI of the SIM card, as well as behavioral factors of network use. An attempt to deceive the system may result in you being left with an expensive device that has turned into a Wi-Fi tablet without the ability to make calls.
The most reliable way to get a new IMEI is to buy a new device or officially restore the number at a service center if you have documents. Any software methods carry the risk of irreversible damage to the communication module.
In conclusion, working with hardware IDs requires deep technical knowledge and understanding of mobile network architecture. Unless you are a mobile repair specialist with access to professional equipment, it is strongly recommended that you refrain from experimenting with NVRAM and modem commands. The safety of your device and the possibility of unhindered communication are more important than a temporary solution to a local problem.
Is it possible to change IMEI without root access?
No, it is impossible. Writing to memory sections where IMEI is stored requires superuser rights. Applications from Google Play that promise to do this without rights are fraudulent or only change the displayed value for other applications, but not for the cellular network.
What happens if you enter the wrong IMEI?
If the checksum of the number does not match (the last digit is calculated using the Luhn algorithm), the modem may reject the entry. If the recording succeeds, but the number is incorrect or busy, the telecom operator will block access to the network for this device.
Does changing IMEI affect the warranty?
Yes, in the vast majority of cases. Interfering with the software and obtaining root access is grounds for denial of warranty service. In addition, the Knox flag is triggered on Samsung, which cannot be reset.
How to find out your original IMEI if it is lost?
The original number is indicated on the original packaging (box) of the device, on the warranty card, and is also often printed on the SIM card tray or under the battery (on older models). It can also be found in the operator’s personal account if the phone was previously registered on the network.
Is it safe to use applications to change IMEI?
No, it is not safe. Such applications often contain malicious code and can steal your personal data or permanently damage the modem software, turning the phone into a device without communication.