Following the April 2026 arrest of three men in Canada for running a fake-tower 'SMS blaster' used to send phishing texts, BleepingComputer detailed how such devices and related IMSI catchers exploit phones' tendency to connect to the strongest signal before authentication occurs. This lets attackers capture a phone's IMSI (tied to the SIM) and IMEI (tied to the device), identifiers that largely remain constant and, on older 2G/3G and even initial 4G connections, can be transmitted in plaintext.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-11-06
Google has rolled out a Play services update that lets many Android 12+ phones show their IMEI number on the lock screen alongside emergency info like contacts and medical details. The feature is optional and can help prove ownership if a device is lost, especially as newer phones like the Pixel 11 series drop physical SIM trays that once displayed the number.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-25
Google is rolling out a Play Services update that lets a phone's IMEI number appear in emergency info accessible from the lock screen, without unlocking the device. The feature targets devices running Android 12 or newer and is meant to help identify a phone's owner if it's lost or found. Users can disable it through Settings under Security & Privacy, Lost Device Protection, and Theft Protection.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-15
GoKawiil