The identity object
An identity is the complete set of values a platform can read to answer "which device is this?". PhoneCloudify generates all of them at once, from a coherence model, so no two fields contradict.
| Field | Regenerable | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IMEI | Before first boot only | Checked against a 2.9M exclusion list. Never reissued. |
| IMSI | With SIM change | Must match the carrier and country. |
| Serial number | Before first boot only | Format is model-specific. |
| Android ID | Before first boot only | Survives app reinstall. The key linking field. |
| GSF ID | On Google account reset | Tied to Play provisioning. |
| Advertising ID | Any time | Resettable by design. |
| Build fingerprint | Never after boot | Pinned with the Android version. |
| Wi-Fi / BT MAC | Before first boot only | Vendor OUI must match the claimed manufacturer. |
| Widevine cert | Never | Provisioned once at the hardware layer. |
| Locale / TZ / keyboard | Any time, carefully | Changing these on a live account looks like travel or theft. |
Cloning
Cloning takes a warmed identity and produces a new one that inherits the behavioural history — app usage patterns, motion personality, session rhythm — while regenerating every linkable field. The clone is a new device to the platform but does not look freshly minted.
Cloning is the right move when you have a profile that survives and want more of it. Copying an identity, which we deliberately do not offer, would link the two permanently.
Retiring an identity
When an account is lost, retire the identity rather than reusing the device. Retirement releases the node but permanently burns the identity values so they can never be reissued — including to you. This costs us inventory and is the correct behaviour.