How Old Is My Phone? Quick Ways to Check Your Phone’s Age

Have you ever grabbed your phone and wondered, “How old is my phone, really?” If you want to sell it, trade it, or judge whether it can handle one more software update, you first need to know its true age. In this guide, we will show you how to tell how old your phone is with clear steps you can try right now.

Why Checking How Old Your Phone Is Matters?

Before we jump into the quick tricks for figuring out how old your phone is, it helps to know why this question matters in the first place.

• Warranty and repair costs: Most brands offer a fixed warranty window that starts the day you activate the phone.
• Security and software support: Manufacturers ship updates for a limited number of years. When your phone reaches that cut-off date, it loses security patches and fresh features.
• Battery health and performance: Batteries age in both charge cycles and calendar years. If your phone is two or three years old, you can expect shorter run time and slower charging.
• Resale or trade-in value: The newer a phone looks on paper, the more cash you can earn when you sell it.
• Key dates to track: You need to keep track of Release Date, Manufacturing Date, Purchase Date, and Activation Date. Each date answers a different question about how old your phone is.

How Old Is My Phone? Simple 4 Methods

You can find out how old your phone is by looking at the manufacturing date on its retail box, checking the “About Phone” settings, or searching the serial number online.

Before we dive into brand-specific tricks, let’s cover three quick steps that work on almost every device. Pick the one that feels easiest, and you will soon know how to tell how old your phone is.

Method 1: Check the retail box

• Check out if there is a sticker on the retail box that contains barcodes and numbers.
• Then find the manufacturing date on this sticker.

Method 2: Go to your phone's settings.

• For iPhone users: Go to Settings > General > About and note down your serial number for the next step.
• For Android users: Go to Settings > About Phone, where the manufacturing date may be displayed directly.

Method 3: Use the serial number

• Enter your phone’s serial number on the brand’s official website. For example, iPhone users can use Apple’s Check Coverage page to view the warranty status and original purchase date.
• You can also use third-party lookup tools online. These services can decode your phone’s serial number or help you check the model number and its release date.

Method 4: Look for small print behind battery or SIM tray

• If you’re using an older or budget phone, turn it off, remove the back panel or SIM tray, and shine a light inside.
• You will often see a code like “2023-04-15” or “MFG: 2023-15” (meaning week 15 of 2023). That date tells you exactly when the phone rolled off the production line.

Just like with smartphones, knowing how to look up the model and serial number of your Reolink IP cameras can make troubleshooting much easier.

How Old Is My IPhone?

Apple offers clear tools that make it simple to answer how old your phone is if you own an iPhone.

Method 1: Use Settings › General › About › Coverage

Go to Settings › General › About and tap Coverage. iOS lists “Limited Warranty” or “AppleCare” with an expiration date. Subtract one year from the expiration, and you get your activation date. For instance, if coverage ends on 12 July 2025, the phone was first switched on 12 July 2024.

Method 2: Decode the serial number (fourth and fifth characters)

Apple packs production details into the serial. The fourth character tells the year (D = 2022, F = 2023, G = 2024, and so on), and the fifth marks the week (01 to 52). A serial like “F31…” means the phone left the factory in week 31 of 2023. This code gives you the manufacturing date even if you have lost all receipts.

Method 3: Enter the serial on Apple’s Check Coverage page

Visit [Apple Coverage](checkcoverage.apple.com0, enter your serial, and complete the CAPTCHA. The site shows your valid purchase date. If Apple lists a purchase date, you know exactly when you bought the phone new or when the first owner registered it. Combine that with the serial decode, and you can prove both manufacturing and purchase ages.

How to Check How Old My Android Phone Is?

Android brands hide extra shortcuts and secret menus that reveal a phone’s birthday. Let’s look at four of the most popular makers.

Samsung: Use the secret code #12580369#

Open the Phone app, type #12580369#, and press call. A hidden “Main Version” screen pops up. Look for the RF Cal (Radio Frequency Calibration) line. It shows a code like “20231015,” which stands for 15 October 2023.

That date is the day Samsung calibrated the radio and finished assembly, your phone’s manufacturing date. You can also visit Samsung Members › Support › Warranty Info to see the activation date.

Google Pixel: Decode the serial number and visit Google Device Info

On a Pixel, the serial’s first four digits show the manufacturing year and week. For example, “2306” means week 6 of 2023.

You can double-check by going to Settings › About Phone › Device Information and tapping Warranty details. Google pushes that data from its server, so the data is accurate even if you bought the phone second-hand.

Xiaomi: Mi Activation Date tool and serial code

Xiaomi keeps an official Mi Activation Date page. Enter your IMEI, complete the CAPTCHA, and click “Query.” The result lists the exact day the phone first connected to Xiaomi servers—your activation date. If you only need the manufacturing date, read the serial. The tenth character is a letter that maps to the year (e.g., “M” for 2022, “N” for 2023), and the eleventh tells the month (A = Jan, B = Feb, and so on).

OnePlus: OnePlus Care app and serial decode

Install the free OnePlus Care app, sign in, and tap Device › Warranty. The app pulls your purchase and activation dates directly from OnePlus records.

If you don’t want to install anything, read the serial in Settings › About Device. The third and fourth characters often note the manufacturing year, while the fifth points to the month. Pair that with your receipt date, and you have the full age picture.

How Long Do Phones Usually Last?

Most modern smartphones last three to five years before they feel slow, lose software support, or need pricey repairs. High-end models may receive security updates for seven years, but batteries often drop below 80 percent health after 800 charge cycles—roughly three years of daily charging.

Screens survive longer unless you crack them, and chips stay fast enough for casual use. If your phone crosses the five-year mark, parts grow scarce and resale value shrinks, so plan to upgrade soon.

FAQs

How can you tell how old a mobile phone is?

Every phone ships with a unique serial number and a 15-digit IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). The serial often encodes the manufacturing week and year. You can find it on the retail box, in Settings › About Phone, or printed on the back or SIM tray.

How do I tell how long I've had my phone?

Find the activation date, which is the day you first inserted a SIM or connected to Wi-Fi during setup. You can see that date on many warranty portals, inside brand support apps, or in your Google or Apple account history. Subtract the activation date from today’s date, and you have the exact time you have owned the phone.

How do I check which year I bought my phone?

You can check the year you bought your phone by looking up its purchase receipt or order history, checking the warranty info on the manufacturer’s website using your serial number, or reviewing the activation date in your phone’s settings.

How do I find out the original date of my phone?

The “original date” can mean the model’s public Release Date or your specific unit’s Manufacturing Date. For the Release Date, search the model name plus “launch.” For the Manufacturing Date, read the serial number or the sticker under the battery/SIM tray.

Conclusion

You now have clear steps to know how to tell how old your phone is. First, learn why age matters for warranty, security, battery, and resale. Next, try the three universal methods or the brand-specific tricks for Android and iPhone.

And, remember that most phones serve you well for three to five years, but age shows in slower updates and weaker batteries. Did these tips help you uncover your phone’s true birthday? Share your findings or extra tricks in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!