Free Tool. No login required.
Updated April 2026. Covers every Apple model since 2010.
Paste your serial below and we'll tell you the model, year, and what it's worth right now. Works on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
Your serial is 10 to 12 characters. On iPhone, iPad, or Watch you'll find it under Settings → General → About. On a Mac, click the Apple menu → About This Mac.
Here's what you get back when you decode a pre-2020 serial. Every field on this list comes straight from the 12 characters of the serial itself. No extra info needed.
C02XXXXXXXXX
This is just an example. Paste your own serial up top to see what your device looks like.
Every Apple device has its own serial number. Here's where to look on each one. No tools, no screwdrivers.
Don't have the device? Sign in at appleid.apple.com and check your Devices list, or look on the original box next to the barcode.
On older iPads with a Lightning port, the serial is also etched in tiny print on the back near the regulatory text.
On MacBooks the serial is laser-etched on the underside. On iMacs, flip it over and check the foot of the stand.
Or open the Watch app on your paired iPhone, then My Watch → General → About.
A 12-character pre-2020 Apple serial packs in a lot of detail. Our decoder reads every position and gives you the full picture, way more than Apple's own warranty checker shows.
For newer randomized serials from 2020 onward, we cross-reference the model number against our database of every Apple SKU released since 2010, so you still get an accurate read.
Every Apple product line uses the same serial format, but what gets decoded varies. Here's what you can expect for each device, plus a quick link if you're ready to sell.
Works on every Apple Watch from Series 3 through Ultra 2. Tells you the case material (aluminum, stainless, or titanium), case size (38mm to 49mm), GPS or cellular, and the original band.
Tells iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini apart. You'll see the chip generation (A14 through M4), screen size, and whether it's Wi-Fi only or cellular.
Covers every iPhone from the 6 forward. Pulls storage, color, and the original carrier lock status. Works on the randomized post-2020 serials too.
Decodes MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the old 12-inch MacBook. You get the chip family (Intel through M4 Max), screen size, RAM, and storage. Every MacBook since 2010 is in the database.
Identifies AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max generations. The serial is printed inside the charging case lid (or on the headband for Max). Handy for confirming a pair is real before you sell.
Covers iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Pulls the chip generation, RAM, storage, and original config. Especially helpful for older iMacs when the year isn't obvious.
Once you know the model, we can tell you what it's worth today. Shipping is free, inspection is free, and you get paid within 24 hours of the device arriving at our warehouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we get asked most. Still not seeing what you need? Head back to the tool and try another serial.
Yes, completely free. No login, no credit card, no limits. Paste any 10 to 12 character Apple serial and we'll decode the model, release year, storage, color, and manufacturing details.
Yes. As long as you have the serial written down somewhere (the original receipt, the box, or your Apple ID device list at appleid.apple.com), you can paste it in from any browser.
Apple started randomizing serial numbers in 2020, which means newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs can't be decoded from the serial by itself. When that happens, our tool falls back to a model-name search so you can still figure out what you have.
Apple's checkcoverage.apple.com page only shows your warranty status. It doesn't tell you the model name, the configuration, or what the device is worth. Our lookup gives you the full hardware spec right away, then shows you a trade-in value if you want it.
For pre-2020 devices, the decoder reads the last 4 characters of the serial directly, so accuracy is 100% as long as the serial is in our database of Apple model identifiers (which covers every Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, and AirPod since 2010). For randomized post-2020 serials, we cross-reference the model number instead.
On any Apple device with a screen, go to Settings → General → About (or Apple menu → About This Mac on a Mac). The serial is also printed on the original box, and laser-etched on the back of MacBooks, iPads, and Apple Watches.
The first 3 characters tell you where the device was assembled. The next 2 encode the year and week of manufacture. The next 3 are a unique production ID. The last 4 are the model configuration code that identifies the exact device.
Knowing what you have changes everything. Maybe you're checking before you sell. Maybe you're verifying a used purchase. Maybe you just want to know what that box in your drawer is. Most of the free decoders out there haven't been touched since the M1 transition, and the ones that have are buried under popups for sketchy iCloud-unlock services.
We built this tool because we needed it ourselves. SellMac processes thousands of trade-ins every month and every one of them starts the same way: figure out what the customer actually has. So we took the same decoder our team uses internally and wired it straight into this page. Paste a serial and you get the model, year, chip, color, and manufacturing details in about a second.
Once you know what you've got, the rest is up to you. Keep it. Hand it down to your kid. Or, if you're done with it, see what it's worth in about 30 seconds with a cash quote. No account, no hassle, no commitment.