How to change IMEI number for all Snapdragon powered devices

I once introduced how to change the IMEI number on various devices across various platforms. A lot has changed since then. Symbian and BlackBerry almost disappeared, iOS and Android dominated the mobile space. Tizen and Fire OS are struggling to make a dent. With the rise of Android, Qualcomm SOCs also dominated the flagship and mid-tire phones. While TI and Nvida exited the mobile SOC market.

Since Qualcomm Snapdragon took over the Android world, it’s time we find a way to change the IMEI number on all Android devices powered by Snapdragon SOCs, and I do find a solution. With a single program, we should be able to do that. I myself tested it on LG G2 and a few handsets made by Chinese OEMs which have the same SOC.

The software names Qualcomm QPST. If you have ever read my post about Qualcomm qusb_dload fix, then you should know it. This program is able to write directly to the bootloader and baseband. That is why it can get those bricked phones back while others can’t.

Let’s get to the point.

Before we start, you need to get the driver installed on your PC. Then download and/or install QPST and Winhex. I tried it on Win 7 32 bit and they all worked great. Did not try Win 8 or Win 7 64-bit versions.

When you are all set with the installation and connect your handset, go to device manager and you will see the serial port like COM8, write that down.

Then open QPST->QPST Configuration->Ports, select add new port, then enter the port number you wrote down earlier and click OK. After that the program will show your SOC model like MSM8974.

Now click start clients and select software download. There you will be able to backup QCN, it should be done in a few minutes. Remember to save that backup elsewhere in case you need to restore it.

Once you are done with the backup, fire up Winhex and open the QCN file you just saved. Make sure you have other backups before proceeding to the next step.

Now search for your IMEI number. But there’s a little trick before doing that, I will give an example below.

If your IMEI number is 123456789012345 (15 digits)
get it in format like 1 23 45 67 89 01 23 45
and you search 1A 32 54 76 98 10 32 54.

Once you find it, replace with your new *valid* IMEI number in above format. Or just search and replace it in one step.

Finally, restore your backup, and type *#06# to check if it works. Please ensure you have got a correct valid IMEI number and backups are in place, otherwise you will not be able to make any call on your cell phone. So use it at your own cost.