Phone lost or stolen in India? Block its IMEI on Sanchar Saathi (CEIR)
A lost phone can be blocked on every Indian network for free, through the government CEIR portal. Here is the exact process, the documents you need, and how to unblock it if the phone comes back.
A phone goes missing in a crowd, on a train, from a bike seat. The first hour matters. India has a free government system that can make that handset useless on every Indian mobile network, and most people find out it exists only after they need it.
The system is CEIR — the Central Equipment Identity Register, run by the Department of Telecommunications. It now sits inside the government’s Sanchar Saathi portal, which is where you will actually land: ceir.sancharsaathi.gov.in. There is no fee and no payment step anywhere in the process.
What blocking actually does
Every phone has an IMEI number, which belongs to the handset, not to your SIM. When CEIR blocks that IMEI, Indian mobile networks stop accepting the handset. A new SIM does not help the thief. A factory reset does not help the thief.
Be clear about the limits. The phone still switches on, and it still works on Wi-Fi — which is exactly why the erase-and-change-passwords step below is not optional. Blocking also does not find the phone for you, and it does not erase your data.
First: find the IMEI without the phone
Everything below runs on the IMEI, and the police complaint is expected to carry it. So get that number before you go anywhere.
- The invoice. It carries the IMEI of that exact handset. If you bought the phone from us, the IMEI is printed on your GradeGuard invoice and shown in your account.
- The original box. Apple’s own guidance is to “find the serial number, EID and IMEI/MEID on the barcode on the original packaging” (Apple support). Android boxes carry the same label. One caution: the box is fine for a phone that is already gone, and useless for checking a phone in your hand, because a box can be swapped.
- iPhone, no device: sign in at account.apple.com, open the Devices section and pick the phone — the IMEI/MEID is listed there.
- Android, no device: open android.com/find, then the settings icon next to the device.
Step 1: file a police report
Report the lost or stolen phone at the police station or through your state police website, and keep the FIR or complaint copy — as a PDF or a photo — on another device. You will upload it.
Step 2: get a duplicate SIM for the lost number
Do this early, because it has a built-in wait. CEIR sends an OTP to the number that was in the phone, so you need that number working on a new SIM. Visit your operator’s store with your ID and ask for a duplicate SIM.
Then wait a day. On a reissued SIM, incoming SMS starts working about 24 hours after activation — calls and data work straight away, and it is the OTP you are waiting for. The CEIR portal puts this down to a TRAI rule, not an operator delay, so plan for it rather than arguing at the counter.
Step 3: keep the documents ready
- The police report or FIR copy
- Your identity proof
- The purchase invoice, if you have it — the portal lists it as optional
The invoice is optional. The IMEI is not.
Step 4: fill the block request
Open the portal, choose Block Stolen/Lost Mobile, and fill the form: the IMEI, the mobile number, the police report details and the documents. An OTP comes to the duplicate SIM, and the portal issues an 18-digit Request ID once the form goes through.
Save that Request ID. It is how you track the case and how you unblock the phone later. The portal states that the handset is blocked within 24 hours of a successful request.
One situation catches people out: if the handset was being used without a SIM, the portal directs you to the Sanchar Saathi CEIR district nodal police officer, with an FIR that carries the IMEI.
Tracking the request, and unblocking
Check Request Status accepts either the 18-digit Request ID or the police complaint number — useful when the block was filed through the police rather than by you. Lost the Request ID? Forgot Request ID recovers it against your registered mobile number.
If the phone comes back — a bag returned, a police recovery, a phone behind a car seat — tell the police first, then use Un-Block Found Mobile on the same portal with your Request ID. The handset starts working again once the request goes through.
The same portal protects you when you buy
CEIR has a second tool, KYM — Know Your Mobile. Send an SMS reading KYM <15-digit IMEI> to 14422, or use the KYM form on the portal. The reply shows the manufacturer, brand and model on record for that IMEI, and flags a handset that has been reported.
Run it before you hand cash to anyone selling a used phone — a stranger on a classifieds app, a shop you do not know, or us. Our step-by-step walkthrough, including what a bad answer looks like, is here: CEIR IMEI check.
How we handle this
We print the IMEI of the exact handset we dispatch on your invoice, and it is shown in your account. We do not publish it on the product page, because a public IMEI can be used by a stranger to file a false lost-or-stolen report and get your phone blocked.
We do not run the CEIR check for you and we do not claim to. It is a thirty-second check that belongs in your hands, on any used phone, from any seller, including us. If a unit you receive from us comes back blocked, duplicated or already in use, refuse the parcel or tell us within seven days and we replace it at our cost.
Common questions
Does blocking the IMEI wipe my data?
No. Blocking stops the handset working on Indian networks, but it does not erase anything. Use Find My iPhone or Find My Device to erase it remotely, and change your email, UPI and bank passwords straight away.
Do I need an FIR to block a phone on CEIR?
Yes. The portal asks for the police report or FIR copy, along with your identity proof. Keep a copy on another device, because you will need to upload it.
How do I find the IMEI if I no longer have the phone?
Three ways without the handset: the purchase invoice, the barcode label on the original box, or your account — account.apple.com under Devices for an iPhone, and android.com/find for Android. The IMEI is what the whole process runs on, so get it before you go to the police station.
Why do I need a duplicate SIM first?
CEIR sends the OTP to the number that was in the lost phone. Get a duplicate SIM from your operator with your ID. SMS on a reissued SIM starts working after about 24 hours, which is a TRAI rule.
How long does blocking take?
The portal states that the handset is blocked within 24 hours of a successful request. You get a Request ID when you submit the form, and you can track the status with it.
Can I check an IMEI before buying a used phone?
Yes, and you should. Send an SMS reading KYM followed by the 15-digit IMEI to 14422, or use the KYM form on the CEIR portal. The reply shows the manufacturer, brand and model on record, and flags a handset that has been reported.
