How To Tell How Old Your Phone Is?

November 14, 2023 By Nancy William No Comments 8 minutes

Although it is simple to determine when a phone was released, it is more difficult to determine when it was manufactured. So if you’re wondering how old your phone is, there is no simple or direct answer to it. It might be a possibility that your device went for sale way after its production date or way earlier. Each manufacturer has a unique method for labeling the production date on a product.

How To Tell How Old Your Phone Is

TIP!
Whether you have an iOS or Android smartphone, they do not come with adequate features or built-in apps to secure your connection, data, privacy, or device. Many vulnerabilities can infiltrate your smartphone. This is why using the best security software like FastestVPN on your phone is the safest option. You’d be able to hide your IP address and also access the best streaming and gaming apps from the Google Play and Apple App Stores.

That said, this guide will show you the best ways to check or tell how old your phone is. There are a couple of methods that you can use, just laying out options to give you a solution that suits you the best.

Get FastestVPN

Quick Glance – How to Check How Old Your Phone Is

Check the phone box or package
Make use of the Google Security Service tab
Via Phone Info or Device Info apps
AppleCare Coverage
Decoding the iPhone serial number
Via the device manufacturing code
Phone’s IMEI number

Why Should You Check How Old Your Phone Is?

There are many reasons to understand how old your phone is. For a general idea, you might want to know whether or not to continue with it or get an upgraded version. You’d also like to understand differences in features on your device compared to newer models, that is, if it’s something you’re interested in.

The only hurdle is that phones do not have a direct function that you can use to find out the phone’s age. However, this guide will show you 7 ways for you to check how old your phone is, regardless of whether you have an iOS or Android device.

7 Ways on How to Check How Old Your Phone is

As mentioned, there are several ways for you to check the age of your phone, and here is how:

1. Check the Phone Box or Package

The simplest or easiest way to check how old your phone is, is by checking the box your phone came in. Every phone box comes with a white sticker at the back. This contains all information on barcodes, numbers, and a bunch of other manufacturing details. This is where you can find the manufacturing date of your phone.

Now, when you find the date, you will need to match it with the IMEI number of your device. The numbers need to be an exact match; only then does it mean that the manufacturing date of your phone is correct. If this isn’t what you can manage, just in case you threw the box away, there are 6 other ways to check your phone’s age.

2. CheckCoverage on Apple

This method is for those who own an iPhone. All you need to do is get the Apple serial number from your phone and then check the age of your phone or the manufacture date from the AppleCare Coverage website.

Basically, it will display your iPhone’s expiration date, and through that, you’ll be able to know when it was manufactured. Here are the steps to show you how to get on with this method:

On your iPhone, go to “Settings.”
Next, select “General.”
Now, on the “General” settings page, click on “About.”
You should now be able to see your iPhone’s info, like its Serial number or the Model number.
Record the Serial Number where you can find it or have immediate access to it.
Now, head to the AppleCare Coverage website.
Type down the serial number in the assigned field.
Now verify that you’re human by entering the Captcha code.
Click on “Continue.”
Now, under the “Repairs and Service Coverage” section, you will be able to see the iPhone’s expiration date.

3. Make Use of the Google Security Service Tab

If you’ve got an Android phone, the first step is always logging into your Google account once you set it up, to sync up other devices, apps, accounts, etc. Plus, this is crucial if you’re trying to access apps on the Google Play Store.

There is also an option to see when you first signed into your Gmail account to get an idea of when you bought your phone. Here are some steps showing you how to do it:

Go to the My Account Google page.
Tap on “Security” from the left-side menu.
Scroll and find your device name from the list under the “Your devices” section.
Here, you will see the first time you signed into that device using your Google Account.

This won’t show you the manufacturing date but rather the date of your phone purchase.

4. Via Phone Info or Device Info Apps

There are a couple of apps available on the App Store or the Google Play Store that help you find out the manufacturing date of your smartphone. However, even if you look up some apps, you will probably see many results.

It is a fact that not all apps work, nor are they safe to use. So, if you’re looking for one solid app that could give you your phone’s manufacturing date, you can search for “Phone Info” or “Device Info” on either the iOS or Android Stores. When you install the app, you should be able to check your phone’s manufacturing date, along with other details.

5. Decoding the iPhone Serial Number

If you’re into a more detailed approach, you can also determine the age of your iPhone by decoding its serial number. Apple always encodes all your phone’s details, like the year of its release, and turns them into serial numbers. To begin, you need first to note down your iPhone’s serial number and then check the table below to begin the decoding process. Here’s how:

On your iPhone, go to “Settings.”
Next, select “General.”
Now, on the “General” settings page, click on “About.”
You will now be able to see your iPhone’s serial number.
Note it down.
Take note of the 4th alphabet of your iPhone serial number.
In the table below, the former alphabet on your phone’s serial number is (January-June) while the latter (July-December.)
Now, use your 4th letter to determine the month and year from the table below.

Alphabet	Year
C and D	2010
F and G	2011
H and J	2012
K and L	2013
M and N	2014
P and Q	2015
R and S	2016
T and V	2017
W and X	2018
Y and Z	2019
D	2020

6. Via the Device Manufacturing Code

You can also check the phone’s manufacture date via Radio Frequency Calibration (RF Cal.) Here is how you can do it:

First, you need to see the RF Cal date, and to do that, launch your phone’s dialer pad.
Type *#12580*369#
You will now see the “Main version” tab mentioning the partition and bootloaders.
Beside the FR Cal, you will see a date. This will show you the calibrated sensor date of your phone.
This allows you to determine the age of your phone.

7. Phone’s IMEI Number

Last on the list of methods on ways to check how old your phone is, is by using its IMEI number. Every phone, whether Android or iOS, has a unique IMEI number. These are at times used to find out the manufacture date of your phone.

However, this step is the last on the list because there are some security concerns attached to it, specifically when you enter it into third-party websites. In short, follow through with this method at your own risk, but we still recommend connecting with FastestVPN to secure your connection and protect your data.

Here is how to get started:

Open the dialer pad on your phone.
Dial *#06#
This will show you your phone’s IMEI number and the manufacturing date.

FAQs – How Old Your Phone Is

How do you find out how old your phone is?

There are many ways to check how old your phone is, with one method being via decoding the serial number. There are many manufacturers, like Apple, that have the smartphone manufacturing date planted in the device’s serial number. These numbers indicate the month, date, and other details that give you the manufacturing date details you need. The short way is to find the serial number in the “About” section.

Can I check when I bought my phone?

Yes, if you still have the receipt or the phone box, there are details on there showing you when you bought your phone. If you don’t have either of them, the best and easiest way is by using your IMEI number.

How do you check if your phone is expired?

Every phone has a date of expiration depending on when it was manufactured and bought. You can find those details in your phone’s About section. Other than that, a phone can go beyond and under the given date depending on how well you take care of it.

Can you check the phone’s age by IMEI?

Yes, it’s one of the more preferred measures for checking how old your phone is. Once you get the IMEI number, you can get your phone’s manufacture date by inserting the IMEI number on a third-party app or website. However, only proceed at your own risk since it opens up vulnerabilities at times.

Is there a way to check how old my Samsung phone is by serial number?

Yes, you can find the age via the phone’s manufacturing date. On your Android, go to “Settings.” Then select “About Phone.” you will find the serial number here.

To Conclude

And that’s a wrap! There are a couple of reasons why you would want to know how old your phone is, with the main reason just being “curiosity.” The easiest way to check your phone’s details is from the box it was packed in. If, however, the box is not within your reach, you can try out any one of the 6 additional methods on our list.