I used these 14 secret codes to enable hidden menus on my iPhone and Android

Getting into *#06# into your iPhone’s dialer and urgent the inexperienced name button will show your gadget’s distinctive identification quantity, often called the IMEI, alongside together with your EID — a novel 32-digit serial quantity discovered on gadgets that assist eSIM know-how. If in case you have a twin SIM or eSIM telephone, you may see multiple IMEI listed. This quantity is commonly wanted when reporting a stolen telephone, checking guarantee standing, or unlocking your gadget to be used on one other service.

Tip: On an iPhone, you can too discover the IMEI underneath Settings > Common > About, however utilizing the code is quicker.

Sort *3001#12345#* to open the “FTM Dashboard” (Subject Check Mode Dashboard) — a hidden engineering menu that shows your service, capabilities, telephone quantity, cell tower IDs, community bands, and your sign power measured in dBm as an alternative of bars. You may additionally see different info listed on this menu, though a lot of it’s jargon solely technicians would perceive.

OK, whereas the code above is for iPhone customers, this one is for Android customers. It opens a technical menu with telephone standing, LTE/5G data, Wi-Fi particulars, app utilization stats, and battery historical past. It is primarily meant for technicians diagnosing connectivity points or checking detailed system well being. Most individuals most likely will not perceive it.

Some carriers allow you to dial these codes to see if name forwarding is enabled and which quantity your telephone is at the moment forwarding calls to — both if you’re busy (*#67#) or for all calls (*#21#). You’ll be able to change it to ahead calls to a different quantity, corresponding to your property, workplace, or a third-party answering service, in settings.

On iPhone, to alter the forwarding quantity, go to Settings > Cellphone > Name Forwarding. On Android, the steps range, however usually you may open the Cellphone app, faucet the three-dot menu, go to Settings > Calling accounts, choose your energetic SIM, after which search for the decision forwarding possibility.

Should you see “Failed/Error” as an alternative of “Enabled/Disabled” displayed after coming into these codes — and you do not see name forwarding in your settings — it seemingly means your service would not assist the function in your plan.

Much like the decision forwarding menu above, dialing *#43# helps you to examine whether or not name ready is enabled — the function that alerts you to a different incoming name when you’re already on one.

To allow name ready on an iPhone, go to Settings > Cellphone > Name Ready and toggle the swap on. On an Android telephone, you usually open the Cellphone app, then go to Settings > Calls > Supplementary Providers > Name Ready and toggle it on, although the steps might range by gadget.

Should you enter the code and see “Failed/Error” as an alternative of “Enabled/Disabled” — and you’ll’t discover a name ready possibility in your telephone’s settings — your service seemingly would not assist this function in your plan.

Name forwarding is beneficial should you’re touring, utilizing a unique telephone quickly, or need all calls despatched to a piece or residence line as an alternative of your cellular. With this code, it is easy to ahead all incoming calls to a different quantity — simply enter *21[number]# into your dialer. (The quantity that is in brackets would be the vacation spot on your calls.) As talked about earlier, you can too allow or disable name forwarding in settings in case your service and plan assist it.

Checking your invoice steadiness is fast and straightforward with these codes. They work proper out of your dialer, so you do not have to log in to an app or web site to see what you owe. On Verizon, dial #225 to get a textual content message together with your present steadiness. AT&T clients can dial *225# for a similar info, whereas T-Cell customers can dial #225#.

If you wish to hold tabs in your knowledge utilization, every main service has its personal code. Verizon clients can dial #3282, AT&T customers can dial *3282#, and T-Cell clients can dial #932#. You may get a textual content exhibiting how a lot knowledge you have used and, typically, when the cycle resets — nice for avoiding overage fees or throttling.

Must pay your telephone invoice? Verizon makes it simple with the code #768. To make a fee over the telephone with T-Cell, you need to use the code *729. 

Your iPhone can obtain emergency, authorities, and public security alerts, together with AMBER alerts, excessive climate warnings, and imminent menace notifications. By default, these are turned on, and you will hear a loud, alarm-like sound when one arrives. You’ll be able to allow or disable them anytime by going to Settings > Notifications and toggling the alert varieties underneath Authorities Alerts.

It’s also possible to dial *5005*25371# to examine in case your telephone is about to obtain take a look at alerts from authorities and emergency providers. This code would not set off an actual alert — it merely returns a sure or no to verify whether or not the function is enabled. If it is on and also you’d somewhat disable it with out going into settings, dial *5005*25370# and press the decision button to show it off.

Need to see your telephone’s compliance and security info? Dial *#07# to rapidly entry guarantee data, FCC particulars, and RF publicity tips. It is primarily a scrolling web page of authorized textual content.

Within the US, dialing *67 earlier than a telephone quantity hides your caller ID for that one name, making “Personal Quantity” seem on the recipient’s display screen, which is beneficial when calling companies or folks you do not know nicely. Outdoors the US, the equal code is *31#, so it really works the identical manner in areas the place *67 is not supported.

Tip: In case your caller ID is often hidden however you need it to seem simply as soon as, dial *82 earlier than the quantity to quickly unblock it.

This is not technically a code, but it surely’s a useful quantity you’ll be able to dial within the US. Calling 511 connects you to your state’s site visitors data line, providing you with real-time highway updates and journey info with out utilizing knowledge. It is helpful if you do not have sufficient service to load GPS, or should you’re near hitting your knowledge cap however can nonetheless make a name.

I did not take a look at this code as a result of reviews say it’ll immediately wipe an Android telephone and reinstall its authentic firmware — with no warning display screen. Yikes. I recommend utilizing it provided that you are promoting, recycling, or totally restoring your gadget, as it’ll utterly erase every thing and begin recent.