By entering codes, you can reveal specific data on your iPhone and even change certain settings.
You may be trying to fix a problem with your iPhone or just looking for some information for your own knowledge, and you are having trouble finding the right features or settings.
Instead of going through the usual screens, you can reveal and even change certain details and settings via the right dial codes. By typing a specific sequence of numbers and characters on the keyboard, you can access key features that would otherwise be hard to find.
Here is a list of dialing codes and the information they will retrieve for you.
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Ways to Use iPhone Dial Codes
Check the IMEI number
Similar to a serial number, the IMEI number is used to identify your phone type, carrier, network, country, and other details. A mobile carrier will sometimes ask for the IMEI number to help with troubleshooting or account changes.
You can find the IMEI number by searching your Settings screen, but it’s easier to use a dial code. On the keypad, press *#06#, and the number appears with EID and MEID numbers (Figure A).
Figure A
Check your data usage
These codes differ by carrier. For AT&T, press *3282#. For Verizon Wireless, press #3282. And for T-Mobile, press #932#.
After tapping the code, tap the call icon to place a call to your carrier. The resulting information appears as a text message or notification showing how much data you’ve used for the current billing cycle. Remember to hang up after the text message arrives (Figure B).
Figure B
Enter field test mode
Field test mode displays a lot of technical data about cell activity, most of which you probably don’t need, but may be useful to an engineer or support person trying to troubleshoot a technical issue. To access this mode, press *3001#12345#* then press the call icon. The resulting dashboard reveals information about your bandwidth and related metrics (Figure C).
Figure C
Make a test call
To make sure your phone’s calling feature is working, you can make a test call, although this only seems to be available with Verizon. To try it, dial #832. An automated message should tell you that your test call was successful (Figure D).
Figure D
Disable caller ID for your phone
If you’re testing your phone’s ability to make calls and don’t want your number displayed on the other end of the line, you can disable caller ID when dialing a specific number. To do this, type *67 followed by the number, as in *67-555-123-4567. Your number will appear as private or anonymous on the receiving phone (Figure E).
Figure E
Check your account balance
You can find out how much you owe on your current bill by a dial code, which varies slightly by carrier. For AT&T, enter *225# on the keypad. For Verizon Wireless, enter #225. And for T-Mobile, enter #225#. Tap the call icon. A text or notification will then appear with your account balance (Figure F).
Figure F
View your minutes and messages
Finally, you can see how many minutes you’ve used for your calling plan in the current billing cycle. For AT&T, dial *646#. For Verizon, dial #646. For T-Mobile, dial #646#. Tap the call icon. A text message or notification displays the number of minutes and messages you have used for the current cycle (G-figure).
G-figure
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