How to Fix Invalid IMEI Number

Invalid IMEI number or phone IMEI is invalid is a problem you encounter when you upgrade your phone iOS to the latest version and an error occurs which stops the iOS upgrade from completing the process. An invalid IMEI number error can suffocate your phone and hinder it from making a phone call and recognizing your phone SIM card.

All phones have different IMEI numbers including Samsung. Your phone IMEI number is a unique phone identification number to track your phone when lost or when misplaced or gotten into a wrong hand.

However, when you have an invalid IMEI error popping up on your phone, then something is wrong with your phone.

Why is my IMEI Invalid

Sometimes, an invalid IMEI has to do with your phone OS. When your phone OS requires upgrading and you upgraded it but due to network failure or distraction you could not complete the upgrading, then you are likely going to encounter the unusual invalid IMEI error on your phone.

You can also end up seeing an invalid IMEI on your phone when you try to flash a customer ROM on your phone and it fails. This could be that your phone IMEI isn’t properly flashed or while flashing your customer ROM on your phone some unknown error occurs.

This occurrence is common among Infinix, Samsung,  and Tecno products. Meanwhile, it’s not a manufacturing issue but rather a user’s problem who failed to upgrade their device OS via a reputable network or trying to flash a customer ROM with little or no knowledge of it.

How to Fix Invalid IMEI

There are two methods to fix Invalid IMEI on your Android phones. So, whenever you encounter an Invalid IMEI error on your Android phone when you are trying to upgrade your phone or you come across an invalid IMEI number after you reset your phone this guide will put you through what to do to fix it.

Meanwhile, to know whether your phone IMEI is invalid or not you need to check your phone IMEI first. Note that, your phone IMEI is unique to your phone and it shouldn’t be shared with random fellow. And that, it is only your phone that can have the same exact phone IMEI. No two phones can have the same IMEI number.

It’s one IMEI per phone but we can check for phone IMEIs using the same technique I’m about to reveal below. Also, if you are using a dual SIM phone you’d have different IMEI for different SIM cards.

How to Check Phone IMEI Number

There are three ways to check phone IMEI. You can check your phone IMEI in your phone settings, at the back of your phone when you remove the battery cover or under your phone battery close, and you can also check your phone IMEI using USSD codes.

The latter option is the fastest and most popular way to check your phone IMEI number. No need to dig deep into your phone settings before you get to know your phone IMEI number.

• Open your phone dialer and dial “*#06#
• Your phone IMEI number will be displayed

You don’t need a network or an internet connection to check your phone IMEI.

Meanwhile, if your phone is a dual SIM phone you will see two different IMEI numbers. The first IMEI number is for SIM 1 and the second IMEI number is for SIM 2.

To fix the Invalid IMEI Samsung number, I recommend you check your IMEI number first to see whether it has disappeared or not.

If your phone IMEI number is intact then you have nothing to worry about. But if your phone display your IME is invalid then you may need to uninstall the custom ROM you flashed on it.

Why is My IMEI Number Invalid

I know two popular ways to fix an IMEI errors when it says invalid. The first approach requires your phone IMEI backup and restore the IMEI number. The second approach only works for a rooted Android phone. If you don’t know what root means, it’s the same term used by iPhone users as Jailbreak. So, in iPhone terms, you need to jailbreak your device to use the second approach.

Method 1.

• Download and install  MTK Engineering Mode App (this will be used in this article).
• 2. Launch the MTK Engineering Mode App.
• Select MTK settings from the options
• Select “Radio  Information” under “CDS Information.”
• 4. Select “Phone 1” if your phone is a dual SIM phone and type AT+EGMR=1,7,” Your IMEI Number”  in the column provided.
• Click on send “AT Command”
• Repeat the same process and type ” AT+EMGR=1,10,” Your IMEI Number”, in phone 2.
• Click send command.
• Restart your Android phone.

When your phone has successfully restarted dial the phone IMEI finder code and your phone IMEI will be fully back and restored. With this, you should be able to start making calls and do other things with your phone having a correct IMEI number.

MTK is a Play Store Android app while Mobile Uncle Tools is not a Play Store app. But you can find it in other stores like APK store. Meanwhile, you need to know how to install the APK app on an Android phone. To do that, go to your phone settings—>security—>unknown source and toggle to enable it so you can install APK files like Mobile Uncle.

Method 2

This method requires root access. For an Android phone without root access, you should consider using the above steps. However, if you have rooted your phone or you can afford to grant root access to your phone in order to reset your phone’s invalid IMEI to bring your phone back to life follow this procedure.

To make sure this works you must have your phone IMEI number written somewhere. Or you must have access to your phone IMEI number so you can restore it.

• Download and install the Forum.XDA Mobile MTK write Tool zip.
• Launch the Mobile MTK write tool zip, enter  “Y” without a quote as a command and hit the enter button.
• Type your phone “IMEI Number” and click the “Enter” button.
• Repeat the IMEI number again in the popup and click “Enter” as required.
•  In your mobile MTK create an IMEI.bak file and copy the file to your device storage
• Open the “Mobile Uncle APK” app and import the IMEI.bak you stored on your phone device from the previous step.
• Finally, restart your phone and the invalid IMEI error problem should disappear and your phone will start working fine again.

Invalid IMEI Number Android

If none of the methods above work for you then you want to consider the steps below. This involves using codes to fix your phone’s invalid IMEI number.

Note: You need to enable develop mode option on your Android phone to be able to use this method.

• Go to your Android phone settings.
• Tap “About Phone” at the bottom of the page.
• Tap the “Build Number” like 7 times consecutively.
• A pop-up will appear saying “You are already a developer.”
• Dial *#*#3646633#*#* or *#7465625# or *#6776#
• This operation takes you to Engineer Mode
• Tap Connectivity > CDS Information
• Select Radio Information
• If your phone is the dual-SIM type, click on Phone 1 and change the first IMEI number
• You’ll find a place to enter the code: AT+EGMR=1,7,” IMEI 1”
• Copy and paste this code as it is.
• Restart your phone once a command appears with successfully sent.
• Go to Phone 2 for the second IMEI number
• Copy and paste this code: AT+EGMR=1,10,” IMEI 2”
• Restart the smartphone

Invalid IMEI Samsung

The process above might not work for Samsung users. However, the steps below work on Samsung Galaxy S5, S4, Note 3, S5e and other Samsung devices.

• Dial either of these codes on your Samsung phone dialer: *#197328640# or *#*#197328640#*#*
• You will be taken into the “Command Mode.”
• Select either the option “5” or “6”
• Choose (FTM) Option 1.
• Choose the option to turn the “FTM (Filed Test Mode)off.”
• Check your Samsung IMEI number whether it has been restored.
• While on the “Command Screen” press the “Menu Key.” The “Menu” key is the button on the left side of the “Home” button or back button on your phone screen.
• Choose the “Key” input and choose “Option 2” to turn off the “FTM”
• After a couple of minutes just remove your phone battery if the battery is removable and remove the SIM card well.
• Insert the battery without the SIM yet.
• If your phone battery is non-removable only remove the “SIM” card.
• Press the power button to turn on.
• Once the phone turned on go to the command mode and dial *#197328640#
• Choose the “Debud” option.
• Select “Phone Control.”
• Tap on the “NAS control.”
• Click on “RRC (HSDPA) and select the option “5.”
• Click on “RRC Revision” to fix the “Null IMEI or Unknown IMEI” on your phone.
• Choose “HSDPA Only” now.
• Reboot your “Samsung phone.”

Now, dial “*#06# on your phone to see if your IMEI number is not longer returning null or unknown.