They look similar, they sit next to each other in Settings, and they are used for completely different things.
Fifteen digits, the same format on every manufacturer’s phone in the world. Carriers, insurers and lost-or-stolen registries all work from it. It is the number to give anybody who needs to refer to your specific handset.
Formatted differently by every brand — Apple’s look nothing like Samsung’s. It is what the manufacturer uses for warranty and service records, and it is meaningless to a carrier.
Selling, insuring, reporting a phone lost, or checking whether it is blocked — IMEI. Warranty or a manufacturer service claim — serial number. If somebody asks for “the number” without saying which, it is almost always the IMEI.
On an iPhone both are in Settings › General › About, a few lines apart. The IMEI is the 15-digit one.
| IMEI | Serial number | |
|---|---|---|
| What it identifies | The handset on a mobile network | The unit as the manufacturer tracks it |
| Who issues it | The GSMA, industry-wide | The manufacturer, its own scheme |
| Format | 15 digits, numbers only | Letters and numbers, length varies by maker |
Dial *#06#? | Yes — appears instantly | No |
| Names the exact model | Yes, from the first eight digits | On Apple devices, yes; elsewhere it varies |
| Carrier or insurer asks for | This one | Rarely |
| Warranty or repair desk asks for | Sometimes | Usually this one |
| Use it to check a phone here | Yes, free | No |
Both are printed on the original box, and both appear under Settings on the same screen as each other — so if you have one to hand, the other is a scroll away.
Paste any IMEI and get the exact make, model and year back instantly.
Check an IMEI freeNorthwest Detroit, on the east side of Livernois just north of Fenkell Avenue. If you know the Avenue of Fashion stretch of Livernois, we are south of it.
Free street parking directly on Livernois outside the shop, and on the side streets off Fenkell. You will not be circling the block.
The DDOT Livernois route runs directly past the door, and the Fenkell route crosses it a few steps away. Get off at Livernois & Fenkell.
About five minutes from the Southfield Freeway (M‑39) and ten from the Lodge (M‑10). Coming down from Ferndale or Oak Park, stay on Livernois and you will run straight into us.
We are in the row of shops at the Livernois and Fenkell intersection, minutes from the University District, Bagley, Palmer Park and Highland Park.
SMOCELL / Smooth Communication
15300 Livernois Ave
Detroit, MI 48238
Mon–Fri 10:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Sat 11 AM – 6 PM
Sun 12 PM – 5 PM
No appointment needed. Most screen, battery and charging‑port repairs are finished within the hour while you wait.