How to Check the IMEI on a Samsung Phone

By Rob Harris

You must stop surfing and turn off your phone to access the IMEI number.
i Sean Gallup/Getty Images News/Getty Images

The serial number for your Samsung phone, usually referred to as the IMEI number, helps customer service representatives help you troubleshoot problems with your phone. It's also necessary if you want to unlock your phone using a specific character. The number displays in the same location on all Samsung phones -- under the battery.

Getting Behind the Battery

To access the IMEI number, turn off your phone and remove the back cover. Take out the battery to expose the Samsung stickers hidden underneath the battery -- the stickers are on the phone, not the battery. Look for a line of numbers under a bar code that's labeled "IMEI" on most phones. For phones that work on the GSM network, the IMEI number should be 15 characters long. On the CDMA network, you'll see only 11 numbers. Also called the ESN, or electronic serial number, the sticker might not say "IMEI," but it should be the longest string of numbers on the sticker.

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