Every Android phone comes with a unique serial number and you need it for claiming warranty, repair service, verifying a second-hand phone and more. The good news is that there are multiple ways to check the serial number on Android phones and most of them take less than a minute. In this article, I have compiled all the reliable methods that work across Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Pixel and other Android phones. On that note, let's begin.
What is a Serial Number on Android Phones?
A serial number is a unique hardware identifier that the manufacturer assigns to every Android phone. Since it's a unique identifier, no two phones can share the same serial number even if they are the exact same model. Android phone brands use it internally to track warranty status, manage repairs and verify whether a device is genuine or not.
That said, people often confuse the serial number with the IMEI number, but the two are different identifiers. The serial number is assigned by the phone brand and mainly works within that brand's ecosystem. The IMEI, on the other hand, is a 15-digit number issued by the GSMA and it identifies your phone across all mobile networks in the world.
If your phone is stolen, the IMEI required, not the serial number. You can learn more in our guide on how to check the IMEI number on Android phones.
Check Serial Number on Android Phones Using a Hidden Code
This is the fastest method to check the serial number on most Android phones. To find it, open the Phone app, head to the Keypad tab and dial *#06# code. You don't need to press the call button. A pop-up will appear showing your IMEI numbers and the serial number under the "SN" field.
Note that some brands have started removing the serial number from this pop-up. For instance, recent OxygenOS versions only show the IMEI numbers. If that happens on your phone, simply move to the Settings method below. And if you want to learn more about these dialler shortcuts, go ahead and check out our full list of Android secret codes for hardware tests, diagnostics and more.
Check Android Serial Number from the Settings App
Every Android phone displays its serial number inside the Settings app, but each skin has a different path to access it. Here are the specific paths for all major Android phone brands.
Samsung
Samsung keeps things simple as the serial number is available on the main About phone page, so you don't have to dig into sub-menus. Just open Settings > About phone on your Samsung phone and look for the Serial number entry. Apart from that, you can also find it from the Samsung Members app or your Samsung account page. I have detailed all the methods in our dedicated guide on how to check serial number on Samsung phones.
Google Pixel
Google Pixel phones run near-stock Android, so the setting is easy to find. Navigate to Settings > About phone > Model and the Serial number appears right below the model name and hardware version. If you bought the phone from the Google Store, your order history will also list it. You can learn about all such methods from our guide on how to find the serial number on Google Pixel phones.
OnePlus
On OnePlus phones, go to Settings > About device > Status and scroll down to find the Serial number. This is the most reliable method on OnePlus phones as newer OxygenOS builds don't show the serial number in the pop-up accessed via the *#06# code. If you also want to find out other methods, follow our dedicated guide and view the serial number on OnePlus phones with ease.
Vivo and iQOO
On Vivo phones and iQOO devices, head to Settings > About phone > Status info. This page shows the serial number along with the IMEI and model number, which also comes in handy when you want to check IMEI number on Vivo phones.
Oppo
Oppo phones follow a similar path to OnePlus phones. Go to Settings > About device > Status and the Serial number will be listed on this screen. The same Status page also displays the IMEI, so do go through our guide if you want to find the IMEI number on Oppo phones as well.
Realme
Since Realme UI shares the same ColorOS foundation, the layout is identical on Realme phones. Simply open Settings > About device > Status and note down the Serial number. And in case the phone is not turning on, there are offline options too, which I have explained in our article on how to locate the serial number on Realme phones.
Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco
Xiaomi hides the serial number a little deeper than other brands. Head over to Settings > About phone > Detailed info and specs > Status on your Xiaomi phone and you will find the serial number along with other hardware identifiers. There are a few more ways, including the phone box sticker and the purchase invoice, so go ahead and find the serial number on Xiaomi phones using our detailed article.
Motorola
On Motorola phones, open Settings > About phone and tap on Model & hardware (Device details > Model on newer builds) to view the serial number. Interestingly, Motorola's official support says that you can use both the IMEI and the serial number to check warranty on Motorola phones. So if a Motorola service centre asks for your serial number, the 15-digit IMEI number will also do the job.
Find the Serial Number If Your Android Phone Won't Turn On
In some circumstances, you can't check the serial number through the software as the display is broken or your Android phone is not turning on. In some cases, the device is also stolen. Thankfully, you don't need a working Android phone to find its serial number. Here are all the methods.
Phone box sticker: Every Android phone ships with a sticker on the phone box, usually on the back or the bottom. It lists the model number, IMEI, serial number and other details. This is where you can find the serial number of your Android phone easily.
Purchase invoice: If you bought the phone from Amazon, Flipkart or an offline store, the invoice generally mentions the IMEI and sometimes the serial number. For Amazon and Flipkart orders, open your order and check the invoice PDF.
Brand account pages: Some Android phone brands let you check the serial number through their account page. If your phone was signed into the brand's account, you can find the serial number from another device. For instance, Samsung users can visit the account page > Devices to see the serial number of every registered Galaxy device. Similarly, Pixel owners can find it in their Google Store order history if the phone was bought directly from Google.
Fastboot screen: If your Android phone powers on but won't boot, press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons to enter Fastboot or bootloader mode. On most Android phones, this screen displays the serial number in plain text.
Check Android Serial Number Using ADB
If you are comfortable with some commands, ADB offers a quick way to find the serial number. This can be especially helpful when the touchscreen is dead but the phone still boots. That said, you need USB debugging enabled beforehand, so this method only works if you had already turned it on from Developer Options.
Go ahead and connect your Android phone to a PC or Mac with ADB installed and run the command below.
adb shell getprop ro.serialno
The terminal will output your phone's serial number instantly. Apart from that, simply running adb devices also lists the serial number of every connected device. Note that since Android 10, regular apps can no longer read the serial number due to privacy restrictions, but the ADB option continues to work just fine.
What Can You Do with the Serial Number?
Warranty checks: Most Android phone brands let you enter the serial number or IMEI on their official website to see the activation date and remaining warranty coverage. We have detailed guides on how to check warranty on Xiaomi and Redmi phones, check warranty on Realme phones and check warranty on Vivo phones.
Verifying a second-hand phone: Before buying a used phone, match the serial number on the device with the one on the retail box and run it on the brand's authentication portal. If the numbers don't match, don't buy the phone. A mismatch means it's a refurbished unit or the motherboard has been swapped or it's a counterfeit device.
Repairs and service requests: Service centres use the serial number to find your Android phone's production details and repair history.
Insurance and police complaints: If your Android phone is lost or stolen, the FIR and insurance claim will primarily use the IMEI number, but having the serial number is also good. It can show proof of ownership.
Is It Safe to Share Your Android Phone's Serial Number?
For the most part, yes. A serial number alone can't be used to track your location or access your data. You can share it with service centres and warranty portals and that is completely normal.
However, I would still avoid posting it publicly on online forums or social media. Scammers have been known to use valid serial numbers and IMEIs to file fake warranty claims or pass off counterfeit phones as genuine. So share it only when there is a legitimate reason.
And that's how you check the serial number on Android phones. To recap, *#06# is the quickest option, but it doesn't show the S/N number on all Android phones. If that doesn't work, the Settings app is the most reliable one and the retail box is your backup option when the phone won't turn on. Finally, if you own an Apple device, here is how to check the serial number on an iPhone.
