How to Find Your Apple Watch Serial Number (and Change Its Name)

To find your Apple Watch serial number, open Settings on the watch, tap General > About, and scroll down to Serial Number. You can also see it on your iPhone in the Apple Watch app under My Watch > General > About, or engraved inside the band slot on the watch case.

To change the watch name, use that same About screen in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone: tap the first line, type a new name, and tap Done.

This guide covers each place the serial number and IMEI appear, what to try when the watch is dead, erased or not with you, how to rename the watch, and what to do when something is missing. The steps follow Apple’s How to find the serial number or IMEI for your Apple Watch and Change the name of your Apple Watch articles, both last published in September 2026.

Before You Start

Which method to use depends on what you have in front of you.

Your situation	Best place to look	What you need
Watch is on and unlocked	Settings > General > About on the watch	The watch passcode, if you set one
Watch is paired, iPhone is handy	Apple Watch app > My Watch > General > About	The paired iPhone
Watch will not turn on	Inside the band slot on the case	Good light, and possibly a magnifier
Watch is lost or not with you	Your Apple Account device list or the original box	Your Apple Account sign-in, or the box

Two terms come up throughout. The serial number is the code Apple uses to identify one specific watch for support, repairs and coverage. The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a separate number that identifies a device on cellular networks. Apple says the IMEI is available on Apple Watch GPS + Cellular models only.

How to Find the Serial Number on Your Apple Watch

This is the shortest route when the watch is working.

1. Press the Digital Crown (the round dial on the side) to see your apps, then open Settings, the gear icon.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap About. A list of details about the watch opens.
4. Scroll down until you see Serial Number. On a GPS + Cellular watch, IMEI is listed on the same screen.

If there is no IMEI line, nothing is wrong. It means the watch is a GPS-only model, and the serial number is the identifier you give to Apple.

How to Find the Serial Number on Your iPhone

The iPhone that the watch is paired with shows the same details on a larger screen, which makes the number easier to read and type.

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. On some iPhones the app icon is simply labeled Watch.
2. Tap the My Watch tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap General, then tap About.
4. Look for Serial Number or IMEI.

The About screen describes the watch that is currently paired and selected in the app. If you have more than one watch paired with the iPhone, check the name on the first line of About to confirm you are reading the right one. A watch that has been unpaired may no longer appear here, so use one of the other methods below.

The same screen also shows which version of watchOS is installed. If that is what you are after, see our guide on how to update your Apple Watch and check your watchOS version.

How to Find the Serial Number on the Watch Case

The serial number is also engraved on the watch, so you can read it when the battery is flat or the screen is broken. Apple gives two locations:

• Apple Watch Series 1 or later, including Apple Watch Hermès, Apple Watch Nike, Apple Watch SE and later, and Apple Watch Ultra and later: remove the band, then look inside the band slot.
• Apple Watch (1st generation): check the back of the watch for the engraved serial number.

To remove the band the way Apple describes in Change your Apple Watch band:

1. Place the watch face down on a clean, soft surface, such as a microfiber cloth.
2. Hold down the band release button, on the back of the watch.
3. Keep holding the button and slide the band across to remove it. If the band does not move, press the button again and make sure you keep it held down.
4. Look into the empty slot for the engraved text. To put the band back, slide it in until you feel and hear a click.

The engraving is small. Bright light or your phone’s camera zoom can make it easier to read. Apple’s article only describes the serial number on the case, so use the About screen for the IMEI.

How to Find the Serial Number Without the Watch

If the watch is lost, stolen, or simply somewhere else, you still have options. These rely on records kept outside the watch.

Check your Apple Account device list

Apple keeps a list of the devices signed in to your Apple Account, and you can open any device in the list to see its information. On another iPhone or iPad signed in to the same account:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name at the top, then scroll down to the list of devices.
3. Tap the Apple Watch to view its information.

On a computer or any other device, Apple’s Review devices signed in to your Apple Account article says to sign in at account.apple.com, select Devices, and click the device name. If details do not show right away, click View Details to confirm it is you. Only sign in on Apple’s own site, and never give your Apple Account password to a third-party serial number checker.

Warning: the device screen also has a Remove from Account option. Do not use it if all you want is the serial number. Apple says a removed device loses access to iCloud, Find My and other Apple services until you sign in on it again.

Check the original box

For iPhone and iPad, Apple says the serial number is printed by the barcode on the original packaging. Apple’s Apple Watch article does not mention the box, but the label on an Apple Watch box generally lists the serial number as well, so it is worth a look if you kept it.

Other records that may help

• Your receipt or order email: some sellers list the serial number on the invoice. This varies by store.
• Your carrier: if the watch had a cellular plan, the carrier may have the IMEI on file for the account holder.
• Your coverage page: signing in at mysupport.apple.com shows your devices and the support each one is eligible for.

How to Change Your Apple Watch Name

Apple’s instructions for renaming a watch use the iPhone, not the watch itself. The watch needs to be paired with that iPhone.

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap the My Watch tab.
2. Go to General, then tap About.
3. Tap the first line, which shows the current name of the watch.
4. Delete the old name and type the new one.
5. Tap Done on the keyboard.

To confirm the change, go back one screen and open About again. The first line should show the new name. To undo it, repeat the steps and type the old name back in. Renaming does not erase anything or change the serial number.

Apple says a name makes the watch easier to identify. That matters most when a household has several watches, or when you are picking the watch out of a device list. A name such as “Sam’s Ultra” is more useful than several entries that all say “Apple Watch.”

Serial Number, IMEI and Model Number: Which One Do You Need?

The About screen lists several codes, and support forms do not always make clear which one they want.

• Serial number: identifies your individual watch. Apple asks for it for support, repairs and coverage questions.
• IMEI: identifies the watch on a cellular network. Carriers may ask for it when you add or move a watch plan. Only GPS + Cellular models have one.
• Model number: identifies the type of watch, not your particular unit. Many watches share the same model number.

To see the model number, Apple’s Identify your Apple Watch article says to open the Apple Watch app, tap My Watch > General > About, and find Model Number. It first shows a part number that begins with “M.” Tap the field and it changes to a five-character model number that begins with “A,” which you can match against Apple’s list to learn the series and case size.

What You Can Do With the Serial Number

• Check coverage: on your iPhone, Apple says you can open Settings > General > AppleCare & Warranty and tap a device to see its coverage. Apple’s AppleCare plan article also explains how to check coverage online.
• Get support or a repair: Apple uses the serial number to identify the device you are asking about.
• File a claim or report: insurers and police reports commonly ask for a serial number to identify lost or stolen property.
• Check a used watch: compare the serial number in About with the one engraved in the band slot. They should match.

Treat the serial number as semi-private. Avoid posting photos of the About screen, the band slot or the box label in public listings, and share the number only with Apple, your carrier, your insurer, or a buyer you trust.

Troubleshooting

There is no IMEI on the About screen

The watch is a GPS-only model. Apple lists IMEI for GPS + Cellular models only, so there is nothing to turn on. Use the serial number instead.

The Apple Watch app does not show the watch

The About screen in the app only covers a watch that is paired with that iPhone. If the watch was unpaired or erased, read the serial number from the band slot, or look in your Apple Account device list if the watch is still signed in to your account.

The watch will not turn on

Use the band slot method above, or the device list and box. If you are trying to get the watch running again first, our guide on how to turn off and restart an Apple Watch covers what Apple suggests when a watch will not power on.

The engraving is too small to read

Wipe the slot with a dry, lint-free cloth, shine a light into it at an angle, and take a zoomed photo with your phone so you can enlarge it. Check both band slots if you do not see text in the first one.

The name will not change

Make sure you are tapping the very first line of About in the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, not the About screen on the watch. Finish with Done on the keyboard. If the first line cannot be edited, check that the watch is paired and selected in the app, then try again.

The screen is hard to read

The text in About is small on a watch. Use the iPhone method instead, or have the watch read the screen aloud. Our guide on how to turn on VoiceOver on Apple Watch explains how.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Apple Watch serial number the same as the IMEI?

No. Every Apple Watch has a serial number, which Apple uses to identify the watch for support. Only GPS + Cellular models also have an IMEI, which identifies the watch on a cellular network. Both appear in Settings > General > About when the watch has them.

Where is the serial number on the back of an Apple Watch?

Only the Apple Watch (1st generation) has the serial number engraved on the back. On Apple Watch Series 1 and later, Apple says to remove the band and look inside the band slot. The back of newer watches shows other details, such as the case size.

Can I find my Apple Watch serial number without the watch?

Often, yes. If the watch is still paired, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and go to My Watch > General > About. Otherwise, check your Apple Account device list in Settings > your name, or at account.apple.com, and look at the label on the original box.

Can I rename my Apple Watch from the watch itself?

Apple’s instructions only describe renaming it from the paired iPhone, in the Apple Watch app under My Watch > General > About. Tap the first line, type the name, and tap Done.

Does renaming an Apple Watch change the serial number?

No. The name is a label you choose and can change whenever you like. The serial number is assigned to the hardware and stays the same.

Does the serial number tell me which Apple Watch model I have?

Not by itself. To identify the model, use the Model Number field on the same About screen. Tap it to switch from the part number that starts with “M” to the model number that starts with “A,” then look that number up on Apple’s Identify your Apple Watch page.

Next Step

Once you have the serial number, save it somewhere you can reach without the watch, such as a note or a photo of the About screen kept in a private album. If you ever need to make a support request or a claim, you will not have to take the band off to find it.