Changing or repairing an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) using

The Definitive Guide to Changing IMEI with Magisk: Spoofing, Risks, and Reality

Introduction: What is an IMEI and Why Change It?

The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a 15-digit unique identifier assigned to every mobile phone. Think of it as a social security number for your device. Network carriers, law enforcement, and device manufacturers use it to track a phone’s legitimacy, blacklist stolen devices, and manage network access.

If your goal is legitimate—e.g., you lost a device and need to help authorities identify it, or you’re a developer researching telephony internals—here are lawful, safe alternatives and relevant information you can pursue:

IMEI is a unique 15-digit identifier assigned to every mobile device. It's used by carriers and manufacturers to identify valid devices and track them across networks. There are several reasons why you might want to change your device's IMEI:

How IMEI Spoofing Works Under the Hood (Technical Primer)

On Qualcomm devices, the IMEI is stored in the EFS partition (/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/efs). On MediaTek, it's in /dev/nvram. On Exynos (Samsung), it’s in /efs.

Potential Issues and Troubleshooting

| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution | |---------|--------------|----------| | IMEI reverts after reboot | persist. properties not saved; or late service override | Move script to late_start service in Magisk | | *#06# shows old IMEI | RIL ignoring setprop | Use LSposed method or modify build.prop via MagiskHide Props with ro.ril.imei | | No network registration | Spoofed IMEI is invalid or blacklisted elsewhere | Restore original IMEI via module disable | | SafetyNet/Play Integrity fails | Google detects property tampering | Use MagiskHide + DenyList, exclude telephony apps | | After module uninstall, phone shows "Invalid IMEI" | EFS corruption? Very unlikely with Magisk – but try restoring EFS backup from TWRP | Reflash stock firmware without wiping data |