| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | Network registration | Modern carriers check IMEI against a database; spoofing alone won’t bypass blacklists or activate service. | | Legal issues | Changing IMEI is illegal in many countries (US, UK, India, EU) and can result in fines or jail time. | | SafetyNet / Play Integrity | Magisk itself can hide root, but IMEI spoofing may break attestation. | | Permanent damage | Modifying the modem partition (e.g., NVRAM) can brick your phone’s cellular functionality. | | Module quality | Most “IMEI changer” modules are outdated, unmaintained, or malware-ridden. |
Before proceeding, understand:
Only proceed if you are the legal owner of the device and are experimenting in a jurisdiction where modifying your own hardware’s identifier for privacy or testing is not prohibited. When in doubt, consult a lawyer.
If you prefer full control without a separate module: change imei with magisk
We will use the "Magisk IMEI Changer" module (originally by author d3 from 4PDA, maintained by community). Since original repos may vanish, I’ll describe the manual method that works universally.
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.
There are legitimate reasons to modify or spoof an IMEI: | Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | Network
However, because IMEI manipulation is illegal in many jurisdictions (e.g., the UK under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, and many US states under anti-fraud statutes), this guide is strictly for educational purposes on rooted Android devices using Magisk. Do not use this to obscure a stolen device or evade law enforcement.
Valid scenarios include:
But for 99% of users: Don’t change your IMEI. The risks outweigh the benefits. Use a firewall (AFWall+) or MAC randomizers for privacy instead. Only proceed if you are the legal owner
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.
Magisk doesn’t overwrite these partitions. Instead, it intercepts requests for the IMEI at the RIL (Radio Interface Layer) level. The RIL is the software bridge between Android’s telephony service and the modem firmware.
A Magisk module for IMEI spoofing works by:
The most popular and practical approach for modern Android (10-14) is using a dedicated Magisk module called "IMEI Changer" (by Magisk-Modules-Repo) or the more robust "MagiskHide Props Config" combined with custom boot scripts.