Serial Number iPhone decode, explained 2010-2024

The serial number is a unique identifier of the iPhone; for most users, you will never need it, but if you need to know the status of Apple coverage or the iPhone’s age, the serial number becomes indispensable.

iPhone Serial Number Meaning

Starting in 2021, Apple began assigning random serial numbers to its devices, including the iPhone. This change affected the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone SE, iPhone 13 mini, and later models, such as the iPhone 14. As a result, it’s now impossible to derive any specific information from the serial number alone. When checking serial numbers on the Apple website (https://checkcoverage.apple.com), you’ll notice that these numbers are completely random, with no discernible pattern. In this article, I’ll provide more details on how serial numbers were structured before 2022 and how they’ve changed for iPhones produced after 2022.

New iPhone Serial Numbers (2021-2024), Starting with iPhone 13

As mentioned earlier, the iPhone 13 received random serial numbers, and the length of the serial number was reduced from 12 characters to 10. If you’re trying to determine if a serial number contains any useful information, count the characters. If the serial number has 12 characters, you can deduce the date of manufacture and the model of the phone. However, if it has 10 characters, it is a new random serial number with no embedded information. You can only verify the existence of the serial number and its inclusion in the Apple database by checking on Apple’s website at checkcoverage.apple.com.

How iPhone Serial Numbers Are Assigned Starting in 2022

Although serial numbers are now random, they are still stored in Apple’s database. Here’s how serial numbers are likely assigned: Several million serial numbers are generated and stored in a common Apple database. When an iPhone is assembled at the factory and the operating system is installed, a random serial number from the pre-generated database is written into the phone’s operating system. After the number is written, a sticker is printed, the phone is packaged, a sticker is placed on the box, the box is sealed, and the phone is shipped to the retailer.

Old Serial Number iPhone (2010-2021)

The serial number for Apple iPhones manufactured between 2010 and 2021 was assigned based on a specific algorithm, applicable only to phones up to the iPhone 13. This serial number contained information about the manufacturer, the exact date of the phone’s manufacture (down to the week), the model number, and some technical specifications. The most valuable piece of information embedded in the 12-character serial number during this period was the iPhone’s build date.

Decoding Old iPhone Serial Numbers

Apple’s older iPhone serial numbers (prior to 2021) were structured in a way that encoded various details about the device, such as the manufacturing location, date, model, and even color. Below is an example of how to decode an iPhone serial number using a specific iPhone 11 Pro Max as an example.

Example: iPhone 11 Pro Max 512GB Model A2161 – S/N G6TZL899N70M

Let’s break down this serial number: G6TZL899N70M.

• Factory Identifier
  • G6T: The first three characters represent the factory where the iPhone was assembled.
  • G6: Factory in Shenzhen, China, owned by Foxconn.
  • T: Represents the specific assembly line within the factory.
• Date of Manufacture
  • ZL: The fourth and fifth characters indicate the date of manufacture.
  • Z: Represents the second half of 2019.
  • L: Indicates the 46th week of the year, which corresponds to November 11-17, 2019.
• Technical Specifications
  • 899N70: This segment includes a unique identifier that contains encoded technical specifications, including the model.
  • N70: Identifies the phone as an iPhone 11 Pro Max.
  • N72: Would identify an iPhone 11.
  • N6X: Would identify an iPhone 11 Pro.
• Color Identifier
  • M: The last character represents the color of the phone. Apple’s color codes vary by model and series.
  • For the iPhone 11 Pro Max:
  • K, P, F, V: Gold
  • W, G, L, Q: Midnight Green
  • D, J, N, T, Z: Silver
  • M, H, X: Space Gray

Summary

By decoding the serial number G6TZL899N70M for the iPhone 11 Pro Max, we can determine the following:

• Color: Space Gray (assuming the color codes are consistent for this model).
• Manufacturing Location: Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China.
• Manufacturing Date: November 11-17, 2019.
• Model: iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Table of production date codes for older iPhone models

month	week code	week of the year	2010 2020	2011 2021	2012 2022	2013 2023	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
			C/D	F/G	H/J	K/L	M/N	P/Q	R/S	T/V	W/X	Y/Z
January	1	1	C1	F1	H1	K1	M1	P1	R1	T1	W1	Y1
January	2	2	C2	F2	H2	K2	M2	P2	R2	T2	W2	Y2
January	3	3	C3	F3	H3	K3	M3	P3	R3	T3	W3	Y3
January	4	4	C4	F4	H4	K4	M4	P4	R4	T4	W4	Y4
February	5	5	C5	F5	H5	K5	M5	P5	R5	T5	W5	Y5
February	6	6	C6	F6	H6	K6	M6	P6	R6	T6	W6	Y6
February	7	7	C7	F7	H7	K7	M7	P7	R7	T7	W7	Y7
February	8	8	C8	F8	H8	K8	M8	P8	R8	T8	W8	Y8
March	9	9	C9	F9	H9	K9	M9	P9	R9	T9	W9	Y9
March	C	10	CC	FC	HC	KC	MC	PC	RC	TC	WC	YC
March	D	11	CD	FD	HD	KD	MD	PD	RD	TD	WD	YD
March	F	12	CF	FF	HF	KF	MF	PF	RF	TF	WF	YF
March	G	13	CG	FG	HG	KG	MG	PG	RG	TG	WG	YG
April	H	14	CH	FH	HH	KH	MH	PH	RH	TH	WH	YH
April	J	15	CJ	FJ	HJ	KJ	MJ	PJ	RJ	TJ	WJ	YJ
April	K	16	CK	FK	HK	KK	MK	PK	RK	TK	WK	YK
April	M	17	CM	FM	HM	KM	MM	PM	RM	TM	WM	YM
May	N	18	CN	FN	HN	KN	MN	PN	RN	TN	WN	YN
May	L	19	CL	FL	HL	KL	ML	PL	RL	TL	WL	YL
May	P	20	CP	FP	HP	KP	MP	PP	RP	TP	WP	YP
May	Q	21	CQ	FQ	HQ	KQ	MQ	PQ	RQ	TQ	WQ	YQ
May	R	22	CR	FR	HR	KR	MR	PR	RR	TR	WR	YR
June	T	23	CT	FT	HT	KT	MT	PT	RT	TT	WT	YT
June	V	24	CV	FV	HV	KV	MV	PV	RV	TV	WV	YV
June	W	25	CW	FW	HW	KW	MW	PW	RW	TW	WW	YW
June	X	26	CX	FX	HX	KX	MX	PX	RX	TX	WX	YX
June	Y	27	CY	FY	HY	KY	MY	PY	RY	TY	WY	YY
July	1	28	D1	G1	J1	L1	N1	Q1	S1	V1	X1	Z1
July	2	29	D2	G2	J2	L2	N2	Q2	S2	V2	X2	Z2
July	3	30	D3	G3	J3	L3	N3	Q3	S3	V3	X3	Z3
July	4	31	D4	G4	J4	L4	N4	Q4	S4	V4	X4	Z4
August	5	32	D5	G5	J5	L5	N5	Q5	S5	V5	X5	Z5
August	6	33	D6	G6	J6	L6	N6	Q6	S6	V6	X6	Z6
August	7	34	D7	G7	J7	L7	N7	Q7	S7	V7	X7	Z7
August	8	35	D8	G8	J8	L8	N8	Q8	S8	V8	X8	Z8
September	9	36	D9	G9	J9	L9	N9	Q9	S9	V9	X9	Z9
September	C	37	DC	GC	JC	LC	NC	QC	SC	VC	XC	ZC
September	D	38	DD	GD	JD	LD	ND	QD	SD	VD	XD	ZD
September	F	39	DF	GF	JF	LF	NF	QF	SF	VF	XF	ZF
September	G	40	DG	GG	JG	LG	NG	QG	SG	VG	XG	ZG
October	H	41	DH	GH	JH	LH	NH	QH	SH	VH	XH	ZH
October	J	42	DJ	GJ	JJ	LJ	NJ	QJ	SJ	VJ	XJ	ZJ
October	K	43	DK	GK	JK	LK	NK	QK	SK	VK	XK	ZK
October	M	44	DM	GM	JM	LM	NM	QM	SM	VM	XM	ZM
October	N	45	DN	GN	JN	LN	NN	QN	SN	VN	XN	ZN
November	L	46	DL	GL	JL	LL	NL	QL	SL	VL	XL	ZL
November	P	47	DP	GP	JP	LP	NP	QP	SP	VP	XP	ZP
November	Q	48	DQ	GQ	JQ	LQ	NQ	QQ	SQ	VQ	XQ	ZQ
November	R	49	DR	GR	JR	LR	NR	QR	SR	VR	XR	ZR
December	T	50	DT	GT	JT	LT	NT	QT	ST	VT	XT	ZT
December	V	51	DV	GV	JV	LV	NV	QV	SV	VV	XV	ZV
December	W	52	DW	GW	JW	LW	NW	QW	SW	VW	XW	ZW
December	X	53	DX	GX	JX	LX	NX	QX	SX	VX	XX	ZX