Want to check if your phone’s IMEI is blacklisted or not? If you have recently purchased a phone, if you are not able to switch ON the device, or if you aren’t receiving any phone calls, then there is a good chance that your phone is blacklisted. Even stolen phones you found that requires you to enter the PIN number (necessary security feature) which signals that the phone has been locked by the original owner. So how can you find out if the IMEI is blacklisted?
Take Out The SIM Card
The first step is to check your phone’s IMEI number. Now, pull the SIM card out of the phone and insert it into another device. Try to make a phone call to any phone number. If the new phone is working just fine, then the problem is with your old phone. Most probably it’s been blacklisted for various reasons. Your only option here is to use the new phone.
Use IMEI Blacklist Checker
There are many online IMEI checkers that shows whether the phone has been blacklisted or not. Some tools work only for specific phones tied to specific carrier network in countries like Japan, India, Australia, Canada, USA, France, UK, etc. You simply have to enter the current IMEI number of the phone in the box and check if the device is blocked.
Most of these IMEI blacklist checker are free to use. If any site asks you to subscribe or pay money, then avoid them completely. Only use the free blacklist checker online which will search its database to find out if your phone is blacklisted. A site I knew was charging $54 for checking if the phone was IMEI blacklisted or not.
Check IMEI Database
The problem with online blacklist checker is that they have their own database, or they have a really old database. They don’t always have a large database, which is always up-to-date. So, if you have solid connection with your network carrier, then ring them up and ask to check if the specific IMEI has been blacklisted. The company will look into their IMEI database and tell you the reason for blacklisting. More often than not, phones are locked because of the lack of payment, prank calls, device was reported as lost or stolen.
You can ask the company for removing your phone from the blacklist list. Doing so will activate your phone, so that you can receive and make phone calls. To be able to remove IMEI from blacklist is not really a straightforward procedure. First, you have to get to the root of the problem — why was the device blacklisted. If the problem was from your end, then explain and ask for another chance.