How Old Is My Phone? Check iPhone & Android Date

Want to know how old your phone is — its manufacture date or how long you have owned it? On a recent iPhone, the easiest way is Apple’s coverage page. On an Android, dig into Settings or use a maker-specific dialer code. Here is exactly how, by phone type.

Knowing your phone’s age helps in three ways:

Resale value. Newer devices fetch more on Swappa, eBay, or trade-ins.
Software support. Apple supports iPhones with security updates for about 5–6 years. Most Android brands now offer 4–7 years of OS updates (Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S24/S25 both promise 7).
Battery health. Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity after 2–3 years of daily charging.

Here is how to find out exactly how old your phone is.

How to Check How Old Your iPhone Is

For iPhones, you have one reliable method and one that only works on older models.

Method 1 — Use Apple’s Check Coverage page (works on every iPhone)

On your iPhone, open Settings → General → About.
Scroll to Serial Number and tap-and-hold to copy.
Open a browser and go to checkcoverage.apple.com.
Paste the serial number, enter the captcha, and submit.

The page shows your warranty status and an “Estimated Purchase Date.” That is the closest you will get to a manufacture date for any iPhone bought after 2021.

Method 2 — Decode the serial number (older iPhones only)

This trick only works for iPhones made before September 2021. Apple randomized serial numbers starting with the iPhone 13, so newer devices cannot be decoded this way.

If your iPhone is older, the 4th character of a 12-character serial is the year and the 5th character is the half-year and week. Free decoders like imei.info or serial-number-decoder.com handle the math for you.

For an iPhone 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 series device — skip this and use the coverage page.

How to Check How Old Your Android Phone Is

Android does not show a manufacture date in Settings the way some Samsungs once did. Try these in order:

Method 1 — Dialer code (Samsung Galaxy)

On many Galaxy phones, dial:

*#12580*369#

This opens a service screen with the build number and hardware date. Older Galaxys also responded to *#197328640#, but Samsung has removed that menu on most One UI 6+ devices.

Method 2 — Build number and IMEI

Open Settings → About phone → Software information.
Note the Build number — its date stamp is the date the system image was compiled, usually within weeks of manufacture.
Now go to Settings → About phone → Status and copy the IMEI.
Look the IMEI up at imei.info — it returns the model and, for many brands, the manufacture date.

Method 3 — Phone Info app (Samsung)

Install Phone INFO ★Samsung★ from the Play Store. It reads your device’s hidden manufacture date, country code, and SIM lock status from the firmware.

Check the Box and Receipt

The simplest check, if you still have them:

The retail box often has a sticker with the IMEI and a manufacture date.
The receipt or order confirmation shows the purchase date.
For carrier-financed phones, your account history (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Mint) lists the activation date.

FAQ

What is the difference between manufacture date and purchase date?

A phone is built in a factory, then shipped, stored, and finally sold. There is usually 1 to 6 months between manufacture and purchase. Apple’s coverage page shows estimated purchase, not manufacture.

How do I tell if a used phone is too old to buy?

Check the model name against the maker’s support pages. Apple lists which iPhones get the latest iOS. Samsung lists supported Galaxy models per One UI version. If the phone is more than two OS versions behind and no longer getting security patches, walk away.

Can I find the date with the IMEI?

For most Android phones, yes — paid lookup sites like imei24.com return manufacture data. For iPhones bought after 2021, the IMEI no longer reveals the date; only Apple’s coverage page does.

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