There are a series of "secret codes" on Android phones, which is very interesting to know if what we want is to achieve full control of our device. In this article we are going to analyze one of the most important: we explain What is the *#*#4636#*#* code for on Android.
This peculiar combination of symbols and numbers is the key that opens the door to important information on our mobile. A code that allows us access a special section within our phone.
What happens if we type *#*#4636#*#* on an Android phone?
Anyone can do the test: open the phone call application on our mobile phone and enter this convoluted code: *#*#4636#*#*. You have to pay close attention to put the pads and asterisks in the right order. Right after doing this, A small application will open on the screen under the heading “Test”. One we've probably never seen before.
The most interesting thing about this is that the app gives access to a lot of new data about our phone that is generally not available on the “About phone” option within the Settings menu.
The way this information appears will largely depend on the manufacturer and model, although it will basically be the same:
Phone Information
In this first section it will be shown the phone number and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). This is a unique code assigned to each device and is essential to recover it in case of theft or loss. We also find in this section information about the network to which the mobile line is connected.
Also included here is the button “Run ping test” which allows us to check the status of the communication with the server, as well as Other options such as configuring the phone to only use LTE networks in the data rate and others.
Battery information
Among other things, by dialing the code *#*#4636#*#* on our Android smartphone we will also be able to know interesting facts about the device's battery: the state of charge, the shelf autonomy, the general state of health of the battery, the voltage, the temperature...
Application usage time
There is also a specific section that shows all the applications that we have installed on our mobile phone. In it it is possible to consult the exact usage time of each of the applications and, in certain cases, also the exact time of its last use.
WiFi connection data
Finally, within the information that we obtain through the code *#*#4636#*#*, there is also information related to our WiFi connection. All we have to do is Click on the “Wi-Fi status” option and the name of the WiFi network to which we are connected, the MAC address or the link speed, among other information, will be displayed.
Why doesn't the code *#*#4636#*#* work?
Sometimes, typing the code *#*#4636#*#* does not give the result we expect, so there is no way to access this "hidden menu" and get the phone information we want to obtain. The first thing we have to do is Make sure the code has been entered correctly (don't let us get any asterisks or hash marks). Once this is ruled out, which happens quite frequently, we may find ourselves facing some of the following: problems:
- Our mobile phone runs on a "too" recent version of Android. Starting with Android 12, this query option has been disabled in order to prevent users from misusing it.
- Our mobile model does not have this code enabled. This is very common in certain brands, such as Samsung, which usually uses its own codes.
- There are applications that are interfering with the process. If we manage to identify which ones they are, it is simply a matter of uninstalling them and trying again.
Other Android secret codes
In addition to the code *#*#4636#*#*, there are many other codes in Android with which we will be able to access different queries and actions on our devices.
Universal generic codes
These codes work with any Android device, regardless of the brand and manufacturer. These are some of the most used:
- * # 06: shows the IMEI code numbers of the terminal.
- * # 07: shows the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value of the mobile.
- ## 225 ##: to view calendar storage data.
Manufacturer-specific secret codes
They only work with the brand or manufacturer that designed the mobile. Some examples:
- .12345 +: access to the engineering mode of the terminal (Asus).
- * # # 07: Open the phone data query app (Motorola).
- ## 372733 ##: access to service mode or FQC menu (Nokia).
- * # # 66- Shows IMEI and MEID numbers (OnePlus).
- * # # 6776- allows us to see the software version, model number and more details (Realme).
- * # # 011: Network information diagnosis (Samsung).
- * # # 0228: battery health status (Samsung).
- * # # 1234: Software version and other details (Samsung).
- ## 73788423 ##: access to the services menu (Sony).
- ## 64663 ##: access to the diagnostic menu (Xiaomi).
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