Transparency notes
Methodology, sources and catalog changelog
Random IMEI creates synthetic identifiers for offline QA and educational examples. This page explains exactly what the tool verifies, what its TAC snapshot can and cannot establish, and when that snapshot last changed.
Current catalog snapshot
- Version
- 2025-11-02
- Device profiles
- 59
- Distinct TAC prefixes
- 125
Manually curated test-data snapshot; not official, exhaustive, live, or suitable for identifying production devices.
How a result is built
- The selected profile supplies one eight-digit prefix from the versioned local snapshot.
- The server adds a cryptographically generated six-digit testing serial.
- The fifteenth digit is calculated with the Luhn formula used for IMEI check digits.
- The service rejects repeats inside the current batch and returns at most 50 rows.
Passing Luhn proves only that the number is structurally valid. It does not prove that a device exists, that a TAC-to-model mapping is current, or that a number is absent from carrier and GSMA systems.
TAC data scope
The bundled mappings are a small, manually maintained set of publicly observable examples. Random IMEI is not affiliated with or endorsed by GSMA, does not redistribute the licensed GSMA Device Database, and does not claim real-time, complete, or authoritative coverage.
A generated serial can theoretically coincide with an assigned device identifier. Use outputs only as synthetic fixture data in isolated test environments; never submit them to carrier, activation, warranty, financing, insurance, blacklist, or production identity systems.
Primary technical references
- GSMA IMEI Database overview — the three IMEI parts and GSMA TAC allocation role.
- GSMA TS.06 IMEI Allocation and Approval Process — current allocation principles, duplication prevention and security requirements.
- GSMA security FAQ — concise definitions of TAC and IMEI.
What the validator checks
The validator normalizes the input, checks the 15-digit format, calculates the Luhn checksum, and optionally compares the first eight digits with a separate, unversioned and limited browser snapshot. That bundled snapshot has no authoritative registry provenance or live-update guarantee. The validator does not query GSMA, a carrier, a blocklist, a manufacturer, warranty records, ownership records, or live device status.
Changelog
- 2026-07-18 — Transparency revision. Published this methodology, clarified collision and coverage limitations, and aligned site claims with the actual 50-row server-side generator. No TAC mappings were added in this revision.
- 2025-11-02 — Catalog snapshot. Last recorded change to the server-side device/TAC catalog.
Corrections
To report an incorrect mapping or documentation issue, email support@randomimei.com. Include the affected profile and a link to a reliable source. Reports are reviewed manually; submission does not guarantee inclusion.