In that moment of horror, you drop your phone. It’s all in slow motion as you see your beloved device fly from your hands…
In a puddle…
Of water….
You see a bright rainbow of colors and then darkness on the screen. Your phone, your beloved extension of your physical body, is dead.
Fortunately for you however you purchased Nexus Protect on your new Nexus 6P, or Amazon protect on that phone you bought on Amazon so you breath a sigh of relief knowing that beyond a minimal deductible, you won’t have to shell out much for a new phone. So you go through the process of filing a claim and then you are asked for your phone’s IMEI number. Then that sinking feeling in your stomach hits again. You know how to get to your IMEI number on your device but it’s dead. How do you get it without the device being alive?
Fortunately Google has made it pretty easy through your Google Dashboard that is tied to your account.
The Google Dashboard provides you a wealth of information and the best way to think of it is how you interact with Google services and how Google sees you. The dashboard is were you will find your privacy settings, your security settings, the number of apps you have installed (and purchased) and information about your devices. Any device you have ever tied to your Google account will be in the dashboard and in the scenario above, that is golden information.
To get to your Google Dashboard, go to http://www.google.com/settings/dashboard and sign in to your account. If you have two-factor authentication configured then you will need to authenticate with your authentication app or text as well. Once you are in your dashboard you will see all kinds of information about the various Google related accounts you have setup. The one
Google Dashboard
we are looking for is Android, usually one of the first few for everyone. You’ll notice that there is a large green number that indicates the number of devices you have associated (or have in the past) with your account. Use the carrot to expand the Android section and there you will see all your Android devices and related information like backups.
Scroll through the Android section until you find your dead device and the first line you will see for that device is your IMEI number. Ta-da! Now you can fill out that claim form quickly and easily.
Now this isn’t the only way to get the IMEI number for your device. Some devices have the number imprinted on the SIM tray while others have it under or by the battery (if it is removable). The Dashboard however, so long as you have associated it with your Google account, will have the number so it is pretty much a lock.
Finally, a word of warning. Never post your IMEI number publicly. Consider it confidential information (you’ll note I blanked mine out in the screenshot). There are apps that will spoof IMEI numbers which can lead to erroneous charges or your number could be used for illegal activities.
For more How To’s and other tips, be sure to check out the How To Pages.
