How are you dear reader? Welcome back to Technology Sage. Today, Lets learn about How to write IMEI on Android MTK Smartphones using Computer with SN Writer tool. I don’t know if one day you have gone through a situation where you have ever needed to write IMEI number on your smartphone. Maybe you have never even bothered to find out because you have never found yourself in a situation where this is necessary. But now that you are here today reading this article, I believe you have realized that at some points, you might want to write IMEI number on your Android smartphone.
I don’t know what problem you have got into with your smartphone that has led you to want to know How to write IMEI on Android MTK Smartphone. But there are situations where you need to write IMEI on Android. First, IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. This is a number that the manufacturer puts on your mobile phone to identify it in the mobile phone’s registry. This also is the number that your service provider uses to identify your phone with. In case your phone gets lost, you can report to the police and your mobile service provider who can track it for you or blacklist the IMEI number so that your phone can not load to any network again using another SIM card until it is reported found and white listed by your service provider.
Methods on How To Check IMEI Number.
IMEI number is a number that contains 15 numbers. You can check your IMEI number for your phone by dialing *#06# on your dial pad. If you have a dual SIM enabled smartphone, you will have two IMEI numbers for each SIM card. If your phone is only single SIM, then you will also have only just 1 IMEI number. The second method you can check your phone’s IMEI number is to look under the battery. Remove the battery and look under where the battery lies on the phone. You will see IMEI numbers indicated. If you have a dual SIM enabled phone, you will see two IMEI numbers indicated. The first one is always for SIM 1 and the second is for SIM two. You will realize that they are almost the same figures except the last two numbers. Remember to write those IMEI numbers somewhere you can keep in case you need them. If by any chance the IMEI numbers have faded due to inserting and removing the battery over time, then use the first method of dialing *#06#. For those with non removable batteries, you can use the *#06# method.
How to know when to write IMEI on Android.
There are signs that when you start experiencing them, then you will know that you need to write IMEI number on your phone. If you see INVALID IMEI notification on your phone’s lock screen, then it means that your phone’s IMEI number is missing. You will also realize that in such a time, you have a network problem. It can range from signal completely missing, or the signal appears but you cannot make calls, receive calls, send or receive messages. You can also conclude that you need to write IMEI on your phone when you not that if you are having dual SIM cards, either or both of them have got network issues. It is either one can connect to the internet but cannot do any other tasks, or the other will not connect to the internet, but can perform other functions. This problem occurs if you are having two wrong IMEI numbers all looking the same. That is, if you have this case, when you check your IMEI number by dialing *#06#, you will realize that both IMEI numbers are the same and do not match those under your phone’s battery. These problems occur when you flash new custom ROMs, when you update your phone to a new OTA ROMs and when you flash a new firmware by formatting the phone first using SP Flash tool.
How to Write IMEI on Android MTK Smartphones Using SN Writer Tool
If you experience the problems I have mentioned above with your phone, then, you without doubt, need to write IMEI on your Android MTK smartphone. In this article, we will look at How to Write IMEI on Android MTK Smartphones Using Computer with SN Writer Tool. If you do not have a computer, previously I did an article about How to Change IMEI Number for Android Smartphones without A Computer. In the article, you can learn how you can change your IMEI using other methods and apps. In this article, we will focus only on How to Write IMEI on Android MTK Smartphones Using SN Writer Tool. SN Writer tool is the best computer tool and I strongly recommend it. This tool is lightweight simple and easy to use. Using this method will permanently write your IMEI on your Android and it will remain intact even in the event when you flash a new ROM or you perform a factory reset.
Methods to Write IMEI on Android MTK Smartphones Using SN Writer Tool
- Step 1
The first step involves getting the tool. SN Writer tool sometimes comes with the firmware you download. So, if you have ever downloaded a firmware before, look it the folders you might find SN Writer if it was included. If not, then just search on Google for SN Writer tool download and you will download it on your computer. It works on almost all versions of Windows. It comes in zip format.
- Step 2
After you finish downloading the zip that contains SN Writer tool, locate where you have downloaded the file, copy it in a folder and now unzip or extract it. After you have extracted it, open the folder you have extracted and open it. You will realize that the folder contains many other files. Locate SN Writer.exe file, write click on it and run it as Administrator.
- Step 3
At this point, having extracted, run SN Writer as administrator, now, select VCOM. Although that feature is pre-selected already by default. On Target type, select smartphone. If you want to write IMEI on feature phone, select “Feature Phone”
After selecting phone type, in our case it is Smartphone, now click on System Config. Button. This will take you to the system configuration panel as shown below. Now, on the Write section, select or click to check the IMEI option only. But you can check the other boxes if you wish to write their addresses too. Now go down to IMEI option. If you are having dual SIM enabled smartphone, select the Dual IMEI option only. If you have single SIM phone, don’t select anything in this section.
After that having been done, go down now to the DataBase File section. You will notice that there are some files already loaded in the MD1 DB section and AP DB. Those are default files and you need to choose MD1 DB and AP DB files from the phone’s firmware. So, having your smartphone’s firmware downloaded and extracted in a folder on your PC, click on the MD1 DB button to navigate to your firmware location to get the MD1 file.
In some firmwares, this file is present as MD1 DB. But in many firmware, it is present as BPLGU… So, if you don’t see MD1 DB, choose BPLGU file if you see it then click on Open. Do the same with AP DB. With AP DB file, just look for APDB file. It is always indicated as APDB. Select it and click the Open button.
- Step 4
After you have successfully selected MD1 DB and APDB files correctly, click on the SAVE button. Now, at this point, you have already done your configurations and now, the next stage is now inputting your IMEI numbers. The one you want to write. Click on Start button and fields to input your IMEI numbers will appear. If you have single SIM smart phone, you will only have one empty field for IMEI 1. If you have a dual SIM card, you will have two fields for IMEI 1 and 2. The first is for SIM card one and the second, is for the second SIM card.
Now, carefully key in your IMEI numbers in the order of IMEI 1 for line 1 and IMEI 2 for line 2. Carefully go through those numbers to make sure you have entered the correct IMEI numbers. Click OK button.
- Step 5
This now, is the final step. After you have keyed in your IMEI numbers as indicated in the above step and clicked the OK button, SN Write tool will now start looking for VCOM port to identify your phone. At this stage, your computer must be having VCOM drivers already installed. If you haven’t installed them, find those drivers online and install them. You can read my previous article on How to install drivers on Windows 10 PC/ Laptop to guide you install drivers on your PC. If you encounter driver signature problem along installation, check my article on How to Solve Driver Signature Problem and Install Drivers on Windows 10. If you already have those drivers installed, proceed and switch off your phone, and connect it to your computer using your USB cable.
After you have connected your smartphone or feature phone (if you are writing on feature phone), SN Writer tool will identify and connect your smartphone and a blue progress bar will start loading until the process is finally finished. You will see PASS displayed in green to indicate that your IMEI numbers have been successfully written.
Now, unplug your smartphone from the USB cable and power it on. To confirm if your IMEI numbers have been written, dial *#06# from your dial pad. You will be able to see the new IMEI number(s) that you have written with SN Writer tool. If you have been having network problems, you will now notice that your SIM card’s signal is now back and you can browse the internet, make calls, send and receive text messages among other things.
Conclusion:
The procedure I have explained above is very accurate and will work for sure if you follow the procedures or steps I have mentioned. There are some of the things I have not mentioned that I wish to mention here. SN Write tool is an IMEI writing tool for only smartphones, feature phones and other devices operating on an MTK mediaTek chipset ONLY. If your smartphone is running on another chipset which is not MTK, then don’t bother to use this method for it won’t work for you. Secondly, MD1 DB and APDB files will come from your phone’s firmware. That is the downside with SN Write tool. You need to download your phone’s firmware first to get these two files. Any other MD1 DB and APDB files from another phone’s firmware might not work. Thirdly, if you have installed VCOM drivers correctly and you get FAIL when you connect your phone, try going back and loading MD1DB and APDB files again. If you still get FAIL, then check the firmware which you downloaded if it is exactly for your phone’s model number. If it is correct, then try again or check if your drivers are correctly installed. Most certainly, when this article helps you fix your IMEI issue, kindly subscribe with Technology Sage to receive our next articles through email every time we update them. Also don’t forget to visit our YouTube channel. To our readers with SPD phones, don’t feel left out. Soon I will do an article about SPD smartphones. Stay tuned.
