Database Users

Change XDA 2 IMEI

Is it possible to change the IMEI of an XDA 2 phone?
Would the original XDA Manipulator Program work for this?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=6697

I read through that, and nowhere in that forum does anyone actually say how to change the IMEI number.

well some say in that post that it's taken from the hardware on the xda2 and you could only change it in xda1 where you could overwrite the hardware IMEI
if there is another way i dont know
also i would prob have put this post in that other forum since it's not all that general and will disappear from the visible part of this forum pretty fast unless you bump it a lot until somebody who knows more about the inner workings of the xda2 comes along and see your question
the reason i guess is that the IMEI is like a mac adress on a nic TEHRE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
and it's suppose to be sendt along with the sim code when you call somebody and the police use it to track stolen phones and such

just a word of warning.... changing the imei is completely illegal in the UK!!!

well some say in that post that it's taken from the hardware on the xda2 and you could only change it in xda1 where you could overwrite the hardware IMEI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone confirm or deny this? Others have said it is very similar to the arrangement on the XDA...

I believe it can be done, its just that nobody has done it yet. When you think about it there are very few reasons why you would want to change an imei, to unblock a stolen phone, to unblock a phone that has been subject to insurance claim. On my old xda I changed my imei to my birth date but now I can get 5 years in jail and a huge fine for doing that because the law is aware also of the reasons that people do it and took steps in an attempt to stop people being robbed of their phones by making it harder to find somebody to reprogram imei, who is going to risk 5 years jail for £10.

Can HTC block a phone?

Hi all, i had a bad start to the new year...some teenager snatched & ran away with my Touch Dual this morning (dawn,it was dark).
Anyway, my Telco can only deactivate the SIM card. I called HTC to check if thr was a way to BLOCK the phone in anyway...but their office is closed as its new years day.
Any1 has any ideas wat i might be able to do? I dnt think i'll see it again but its really disappointing. some luck huh?
p.s. I intend to get another touch dual the soonest i can afford it..
daddypool

What do you expect from them to block? I think you want something that's not possible. However, I know that in Holland, the police somtimes sends a sms-bomb to the IMEI number of a stolen phone. I don't know where you're from. but maybe the police in your country can do that to. It seems very anoying to me to receive lot ant lots of sms messages about using a stolen phone

i thought it was up to your network to get the imei barred? if your network wont help i doubt if HTC will do much.

Go to Police with your IMEI!

the IMEI is also on the box the device came with

i was under the impression you can break a phone if you have its imei

I'm sorry...
daddypool said:
Hi all, i had a bad start to the new year...some teenager snatched & ran away with my Touch Dual this morning (dawn,it was dark).
Anyway, my Telco can only deactivate the SIM card. I called HTC to check if thr was a way to BLOCK the phone in anyway...but their office is closed as its new years day.
Any1 has any ideas wat i might be able to do? I dnt think i'll see it again but its really disappointing. some luck huh?
p.s. I intend to get another touch dual the soonest i can afford it..
daddypool
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't believe the nerve of that little jerk. Your bad experience just gave me an idea. I once put an app on my Magician that when a different Sim card was inserted into my phone, it would send me a text/email with the telephone number of that Sim. I never had to use it so I can't say for sure that it actually worked. I guess I should've tested it. But anyway, my point is; I'm going to find that app and post it for all.
Can't wait until you get your Dual back.

luckycris0 said:
I can't believe the nerve of that little jerk. Your bad experience just gave me an idea. I once put an app on my Magician that when a different Sim card was inserted into my phone, it would send me a text/email with the telephone number of that Sim. I never had to use it so I can't say for sure that it actually worked. I guess I should've tested it. But anyway, my point is; I'm going to find that app and post it for all.
Can't wait until you get your Dual back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol thats an awesome idea

luckycris0 said:
I can't believe the nerve of that little jerk. Your bad experience just gave me an idea. I once put an app on my Magician that when a different Sim card was inserted into my phone, it would send me a text/email with the telephone number of that Sim. I never had to use it so I can't say for sure that it actually worked. I guess I should've tested it. But anyway, my point is; I'm going to find that app and post it for all.
Can't wait until you get your Dual back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, i came across that software before too..now i wish i had tried that. (well, another lesson in life!)..my only saving grace is i have everything i need backed up. with the IMEI number, which i already gave the police, the only way the thief will be caught if he tries to sell to a 2nd hand mobile phone shop.
by the way, im in Singapore, one of the lowest crime rates in the world. but hey, still, low crime doesnt mean no crime.
oh my, i miss my phone so much...haha..now i can just laugh about it. i just checked the retail price of the dual here...it will cost me about USD 700. sigh...

luckycris0,
if u find that app, pls post it here...thanks..
after this lesson, i will use that, if not for anything....just for karma.

Phone tracing app
Press coverage of same
Hope that helps.

Here's an app that's similar to what I was talking about in my post earlier. The trial version is available from handango.com and it's about 25usd to purchase. Give this a try. I'm certainly going to on both my Nike and Polaris. I'm still going to try and locate the app so you all don't have to pay for it but since that time, I've changed laptops countless times, but I always save everything to disc so we'll see.

thks
thks guys...i will definitel try these apps...once bitten twice shy!
ystrday, i jus bought myself another TOUCH DUAL!...got it at a better offer..had 2 sign a new 2year contract for another telco line...& gave the line to a loved one to use...

Uhm.
I read a few years back that your operator can block the whole phone, not just the SIM card. Never needed to use it, I have no idea if it really works.
Bad luck!
Anyway, thx guys for the app! can really be handy!

will one of these appz survive after a flash or hard reset? guess not So, they are pretty useless in front of phone guardian for symbian in example

Device Management
Hi,
what you need is a device managent system which can do all these things for you.
take a look to amagu_sycn security i am using this tools since arround 4 month its works perfect.

Luckiest Android User Ever

So I was helping a customer today (I'm a Tmo Employee) with their rate plans and then started talking to him about some phones. Well he pulls out a Nexus One out of one of the stock N1 pouches and told me he FOUND this (who the hell finds free stuff like this?!) and wanted to check if it was a Tmo or ATT version because his internet wasn't working. I verified it was a Tmo version and it wasn't working for him because he had the Blackberry internet on his plan. When I asked if he wanted to change it he was like oh no I like my Blackberry. Then here is how the next part went.
Guy: Do you know anybody that would want to buy this?
Me: As a matter of fact, I'll be glad to take it.
Guy: How about $200?
Me: How about I go to the ATM next door RIGHT NOW!
So now I'm the owner of another N1 so this one goes to my GF. Buuuuuut the best part is, it isn't just the normal one. This one has the picture of the Android waving a flag on the back with no HTC branding. Hmmmmmmm...
Just had to share this. Was too excited about it not to! lol

Just bought your self a brand new stolen ('found' is an alternative word for stolen) N1 Concrats! It's the best device with Android!

so let me translate for you.
This guy steals an N1 and brings it in to your store and asks if you'll pay him $200 for it and you say yes.
Got it...

You sound like a goddamned thief to me.
Disgusting.

could easily track down the original owner in minutes...
but my question is, why is there an android flag and no htc branding? Is it a special phone?

Alclub said:
could easily track down the original owner in minutes...
but my question is, why is there an android flag and no htc branding? Is it a special phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...Search and you shall receive...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=680179&highlight=android+flag

Alclub said:
could easily track down the original owner in minutes...
but my question is, why is there an android flag and no htc branding? Is it a special phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm thinking it could be a Beta phone or something? Looks like one of the ones that Google employees were given and were not supposed to "sell" BUT I have heard of some that have been "lost" from employees and were bought from people. But the phone had no SIM card and looked wiped when I got it. Was at the stock 2.1 home screen.
The guy didn't "look" like he stole it. Nice guy, wife, 2 young kids. I'm pretty sure the guy found it somewhere.

Grats on buying stolen goods. Not the smartest thing to brag about, either.

Or possibly you've just met a Google worker that was quietly getting rid of his phone

i would have bought it too shiiiiit lol

The guy said the other guy found it. How the hell are you guys jumping to the conclusion that it's stolen?
The word "found" is similar to the word "stolen"?
So when my car stereo was missing out of my car one day, someone just found it and it actually wasn't stolen? Maybe this, I found 20 bucks on the street once but I must've stolen it right?
BTW, congrats on getting a awesome deal. Ignore the haters and you and your girlfriend enjoy the phone.

Damn you are really LUCKY android user. 200$ it's nothing for that phone

'The word "found" is similar to the word "stolen"?'
Maybe i said it wrong but i meant in this sentence it's an other word for found... And i'm not a hater just know how people are, they don't come in and say "i just stole the phone want to buy for 200 bucks?" That would be stupid! it's pretty clear it's stolen but i wouldn't care about it I'm Happy for the new owner and wished one day someone comes to me for a cheap good as new phone for 1/3 of the origional price (i got my hero for 150 bucks @ releaseday, found by someone i know )

Grats on capitalising on someone elses misfortune.
I'd gladly buy your phone if it was found/stolen rather than try and track you down. (/not. it's very easy to track down the owner of a lost phone for which i have done multiple times).
Did you keep the guys contacts & messages on their or just go and delete them? so as not to spark your conscience. How about when you were deleting the owners google login details to put your own in its place? did that make you feel all light and giddy too?

You work for T-Mobile, someone brings in a T-Mobile version of the N1 and you buy it rather than trying to find the owner on your internal system?
Morally bankrupt
SC

If I worked in your store and someone brought in a "found" phone, then (a) it wouldn't have left the store again, and (b) I would NEVER, EVER, have offered to buy it. Totally reprehensible.
If you find something it doesn't automatically become yours. You're no better than a common thief. In fact, you're worse, because you knowingly paid money for it.
I'd expect the manager to back me up on (a) and help track the original owner down. I can assure you that if you worked for me and I found out about this, you'd be out of the door so quick you'd wonder what happened.

bumskins said:
Grats on capitalising on someone elses misfortune.
I'd gladly buy your phone if it was found/stolen rather than try and track you down. (/not. it's very easy to track down the owner of a lost phone for which i have done multiple times).
Did you keep the guys contacts & messages on their or just go and delete them? so as not to spark your conscience. How about when you were deleting the owners google login details to put your own in its place? did that make you feel all light and giddy too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was no SIM card in the phone. No contacts. Nothing at all. To me it looked like it was wiped which I'm sure the dude didn't do cause he had no clue how to use this phone or his phone which I might add.

ScaredyCat said:
You work for T-Mobile, someone brings in a T-Mobile version of the N1 and you buy it rather than trying to find the owner on your internal system?
Morally bankrupt
SC
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Click to collapse
No way to track down people from IMEI's :-/

I'll give OP the benefit of the doubt based on his story of how the events went down.
People lose phones all the time... that's why applications like WaveSecure exist. Without having any such application on the phone, it gets to be rather difficult to find the owner - especially if all data has been wiped from the device. Without a SIM card, there's not really anything to tie the device to its previous owner.
It is kinda sketch, but I don't think the OP is in the wrong here.

I give it a week before its IMEI blocked

[Q] Changing IMEI of the Nexus 4

My brand new Nexus 4 got stolen within a week of buying it while traveling in Bombay. I was hoping to get it back after lodging a police complaint and they assured me it will get traced using the IMEI number. But recently I have came across many newspaper articles saying that the IMEI number can be changed using software's from the internet.
If such is the case, aren't the IMEI numbers useless in the first place?
The new IMEI number doesn't make the phone unstable or make it share its IMEI number with any other phone?
Can phones with changed IMEI numbers be used with regular mobile networks?
Modern technology isnt making this impossible?
Can someone well versed in these issues answer these questions?
Thanks

I'm pretty sure changing the IMEI number would be illegal.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Devhux said:
I'm pretty sure changing the IMEI number would be illegal.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is stealing the device in the first place! The thief won`t care for that. As discussions about changing Imei numbers are not allowed on XDA that doesn`t mean there isn`t some dark app/software around to change the Imei though.

Is illegal and you would have to have some sort of access to be able to change it
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

there are many softwares avb thru which the IMEI can be changed. But adding extra digits to the IMEI number or having two phones with the same IMEI number not make the phone useless? can the telephone companies not read these type of phones?

In India the success rate of phones getting recovered is merely 2%. There are many shops in seedy places where thieves can get the phones wiped or get the IMEI changed. Manufacturers need to come up with better solutions to prevent theft or make the phone unusable once stolen. If they expect people to buy such expensive phones, it wouldnt hurt them to make them more secure and in turn safe guarding our costly indulgence.

vaibhav414 said:
In India the success rate of phones getting recovered is merely 2%. There are many shops in seedy places where thieves can get the phones wiped or get the IMEI changed. Manufacturers need to come up with better solutions to prevent theft or make the phone unusable once stolen. If they expect people to buy such expensive phones, it wouldnt hurt them to make them more secure and in turn safe guarding our costly indulgence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure it's possible for them to make the phone trackable as long as the phone has charge. Eg, a small chip that is ALWAYS on to enable 24/7 GPS tracking.
Although that's nice, people would complain about privacy. They would say the manufacturers are tracking them and soon there will be some illuminati or political war going on with the manufacturer.
Is it possible? Very likely.
Will people like it? Yes and No.

exb0 said:
I'm sure it's possible for them to make the phone trackable as long as the phone has charge. Eg, a small chip that is ALWAYS on to enable 24/7 GPS tracking.
Although that's nice, people would complain about privacy. They would say the manufacturers are tracking them and soon there will be some illuminati or political war going on with the manufacturer.
Is it possible? Very likely.
Will people like it? Yes and No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a good idea. and Privacy-shrivacy! People who make a big deal about privacy should pay everyone who loses their phone and then cant track it.
Also, manufacturers have done away with a tiny slot that you could used to tie a cord around. I feel tying your phone to your trousers is the only way not to lose your phone in India. We are packed like sardines here when we use the public transport and thats the only way to secure your phone.

exb0 said:
I'm sure it's possible for them to make the phone trackable as long as the phone has charge. Eg, a small chip that is ALWAYS on to enable 24/7 GPS tracking.
Although that's nice, people would complain about privacy. They would say the manufacturers are tracking them and soon there will be some illuminati or political war going on with the manufacturer.
Is it possible? Very likely.
Will people like it? Yes and No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't be surprised if they're already doing that, atleast American carrier locked phones. But then it would be detected by engineers by examining the motherboard? Although it's not necessary with network and software capability like Carrier IQ and Prism.

vaibhav414 said:
Thats a good idea. and Privacy-shrivacy! People who make a big deal about privacy should pay everyone who loses their phone and then cant track it.
Also, manufacturers have done away with a tiny slot that you could used to tie a cord around. I feel tying your phone to your trousers is the only way not to lose your phone in India. We are packed like sardines here when we use the public transport and thats the only way to secure your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty annoyed by people who keep whining about privacy as well. Germany is probably the worst worldwide right now when it comes to such people. Like a while back, when they all complained about Google Streetview and set them back via lawsuits and politics several times. Now it was only passed when people were able so request their houses(!) to be pixelated. I mean srsly, it's not like it's their faces or licence plates, it's just some outer walls, every one can see when driving by themselves! Anyway, that's why there isn't much Streetview going on here right now (Google probably got tired of it). And it's just one of many annoying examples.
But back to topic: I think Google is doing some good first steps in the anti-theft and recovery direction with the Device manager. Now it just has to work for me...

vaibhav414 said:
Thats a good idea. and Privacy-shrivacy! People who make a big deal about privacy should pay everyone who loses their phone and then cant track it.
Also, manufacturers have done away with a tiny slot that you could used to tie a cord around. I feel tying your phone to your trousers is the only way not to lose your phone in India. We are packed like sardines here when we use the public transport and thats the only way to secure your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. I actually don't like "big brother" tracking me down.
So what if you can track it? I might be able to track it down to a condo, so how are you gonna know who took the phone?
I doubt the police would make a raid JUST FOR A PHONE.
Yes I know, I've been to India. Yep, I agree on this one. I do want a strap.
eksasol said:
Wouldn't be surprised if they're already doing that, atleast American carrier locked phones. But then it would be detected by engineers by examining the motherboard? Although it's not necessary with network and software capability like Carrier IQ and Prism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they were, engineers would see it.
No, with software it's easily wipeable. If the nexus 4 came with a tracking app named TRACK (for an example) , I can just take the phone, wipe it and install cyanogenmod on it. There you go, the app "TRACK" will be gone. Software side would be useless. If i'm not mistaken cerberus suffers from the same problem. It's a software. I'm sure you can wipe it.
Bottom line is, unless manufacturers make a HARDWARE that lets you track it, there's no full proof way of tracking it. Even then, it's hard to convict someone of stealing your phone.
In case you're thinking that I don't understand your pain of losing a nexus 4, trust me when I say I do. I lost my nexus 4 IN SCHOOL about 2 weeks go.

exb0 said:
Nope. I actually don't like "big brother" tracking me down.
So what if you can track it? I might be able to track it down to a condo, so how are you gonna know who took the phone?
I doubt the police would make a raid JUST FOR A PHONE.
Yes I know, I've been to India. Yep, I agree on this one. I do want a strap.
If they were, engineers would see it.
No, with software it's easily wipeable. If the nexus 4 came with a tracking app named TRACK (for an example) , I can just take the phone, wipe it and install cyanogenmod on it. There you go, the app "TRACK" will be gone. Software side would be useless. If i'm not mistaken cerberus suffers from the same problem. It's a software. I'm sure you can wipe it.
Bottom line is, unless manufacturers make a HARDWARE that lets you track it, there's no full proof way of tracking it. Even then, it's hard to convict someone of stealing your phone.
In case you're thinking that I don't understand your pain of losing a nexus 4, trust me when I say I do. I lost my nexus 4 IN SCHOOL about 2 weeks go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point is to make stealing phones difficult. If the police raid a couple of times, the thieves would think that its useless stealing phones, since they get tracked and would discourage them from this practice. Till the someone found an IMEI loophole, im guessing phone theft would be on decline too. For eg: Modern cars. Since the chip installed in the Key. Car theft has gone down considerably.
Also, were not really upset upon losing your Nexus 4? What steps did you take to get it back, if at all?
I was hoping mine would get recovered eventually. But i have lost all hope.
I wish the thief gets slow roasted in hell.

[Q] Found a Galaxy S5

Topic closed! Got my answer. Thank you for everyone.

If you hand it into the police (At least in the UK) after a period of time, 4 weeks or something, it legally becomes yours if no-one claims it and you can go and collect it

Hand it In its being tracked

Not only that, but a local mobile network operator have no right to say you can keep a phone that does not belong to you, just because it was lost
Only the police can do that, and only after they try to find the rightful owner / give them a chance to report it lost and have it returned

Christiancs1969 said:
Hand it In it COULD BE being tracked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fixed that for you

-PiLoT- said:
fixed that for you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha ha thanks...
If it was me or you it would be handed In
True...?

Christiancs1969 said:
Ha ha thanks...
If it was me or you it would be handed In
True...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. honesty is honesty but that doesnt mean the device is definately being tracked, that could make the poor guy have a panic attack

-PiLoT- said:
yes. honesty is honesty but that doesnt mean the device is definately being tracked, that could make the poor guy have a panic attack
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.. That thought bypassed me sorry..
I'll make sure I think next time ?

Forgot to add. Because phone was locked, I wiped it clean (3 button combination).
If I hand it in - who will give me all the funds i invested? Nobody. Hope isnt at my side.
Yes, I was dumb to replace the broken parts myself. But whats done, its done.
So. Can I use Google Play? Can I use WIFI or 4G?

Asurath said:
Forgot to add. Because phone was locked, I wiped it clean (3 button combination).
If I hand it in - who will give me all the funds i invested? Nobody. Hope isnt at my side.
Yes, I was dumb to replace the broken parts myself. But whats done, its done.
So. Can I use Google Play? Can I use WIFI or 4G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wipe data & system and install a new rom via Odin and you're done.
Wipe data removes 99% of tracking apps, wiping system removes the rest.

Use a custom recovery and delete everything than use a custom rom/kernel and flash modem/bootloader files too via odin

dotuletz said:
Wipe data & system and install a new rom via Odin and you're done.
Wipe data removes 99% of tracking apps, wiping system removes the rest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not quite

It is traceable via IMEI.
But someone who lost this phone (apparently it looks like this) and phone was bought on contract, there is huge possibility that someone will block IMEI on network provider. After that 2 ways left. Sell it to foreign country or use it w/o mobile network.

qubbus said:
It is traceable via IMEI.
But someone who lost this phone (apparently it looks like this) and phone was bought on contract, there is huge possibility that someone will block IMEI on network provider. After that 2 ways left. Sell it to foreign country or use it w/o mobile network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh, yes you guys are right. forgot the old ways now that everything is smart. On "dumb" phoness you were able to change the imei with the right tools, never tried it on smarthphones. Anyway the chances that someone who throwed away a smashed phone without battery to be looking for it are slim, i would use it

dotuletz said:
oh, yes you guys are right. forgot the old ways now that everything is smart. On "dumb" phoness you were able to change the imei with the right tools, never tried it on smarthphones. Anyway the chances that someone who throwed away a smashed phone without battery to be looking for it are slim, i would use it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe someone used this phone for criminal purpose and that is the reason of smashing it?

qubbus said:
Maybe someone used this phone for criminal purpose and that is the reason of smashing it?
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Click to collapse
And that has something to do with him because ... ? phones don't comit crimes, people do. Let's say police was tracking a phone for some reason, once the criminal sells the phone it will be tracked for an X amount of time until police knows for certain the buyer doesn't have anything to do with the seller. Anyway more than 50% of phones out there have been used in... unapropiate way from prank calling to showing the latest vid of a gf to your friends (and you know what I mean by prank and vid).
Let us not make any more of what it is: a found phone, repaired, end of story. Nobody will come after it and if it does you can show the owner the receipt for spare parts. If he is as honest as wanting his/her phone back at least they can pay for repairs.

Just use it if you really wanted to... The authorities aren't gonna bother raiding your home and arresting you and stuff just for the sake of a lost phone. So just use it normally. If they blocked it then fine just use it as a gaming device or multimedia device. If someone tracked it then give it back to them and charge them the cost for fixing it. If it really came into accusing you of stealing(which has 0.1% chance of happening) then dare them a lie detector test.

dotuletz said:
And that has something to do with him because ... ? phones don't comit crimes, people do. Let's say police was tracking a phone for some reason, once the criminal sells the phone it will be tracked for an X amount of time until police knows for certain the buyer doesn't have anything to do with the seller. Anyway more than 50% of phones out there have been used in... unapropiate way from prank calling to showing the latest vid of a gf to your friends (and you know what I mean by prank and vid).
Let us not make any more of what it is: a found phone, repaired, end of story. Nobody will come after it and if it does you can show the owner the receipt for spare parts. If he is as honest as wanting his/her phone back at least they can pay for repairs.
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Click to collapse
Agree! Just wanted to underline that there is no point to thinking 'what if'... Because we can get a really paranoic point such as cospiracy theory or something else...
Use it as long as you can and want.
Found not stolen they said

dotuletz said:
oh, yes you guys are right. forgot the old ways now that everything is smart. On "dumb" phoness you were able to change the imei with the right tools, never tried it on smarthphones. Anyway the chances that someone who throwed away a smashed phone without battery to be looking for it are slim, i would use it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
true but you also said wiping /system and /data would remove ALL tracing software. so youde be caught fast