Guide

How to manage device serial numbers

For a warranty claim, a repair or an insurance case, someone asks for the serial number. A photo of the rating plate is little help once the device is already at the workshop. Store it beforehand.

What you need the serial number for

Warranty and repair requests: manufacturers use it to identify your unit.
Insurance claims or theft: the number identifies your device uniquely.
Reselling: buyers often ask for it.

Where to find it

Rating plate: on the back or underside, in the battery bay or behind a flap. Usually labelled S/N, Serial No. or SN.
Packaging and warranty card: often printed there.
Windows PC: open PowerShell and run Get-CimInstance Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SerialNumber. Many manufacturers show the device number; self-built PCs sometimes show only a placeholder.
Android phone: Settings > About phone > Status (varies slightly by manufacturer).
iPhone: Settings > General > About.
Invoice or delivery note: some retailers list it there.

How to store it

Photograph the rating plate right after unboxing.
Also type the number out so it is searchable. Mix-ups of 0/O and 1/I are easier to spot later against the photo.
Keep serial number, purchase date, retailer and receipt together, ideally per device.
Back the collection up regularly.

A spreadsheet (CSV or Excel) with the columns device, manufacturer, model, serial number, purchase date, retailer, price is enough to begin with.

How Belegora helps

In Belegora each device has a serial number field, plus receipt and your own deadline. Search and the command palette (Ctrl+K) also look through serial numbers, retailers and tags. Import existing spreadsheets with the CSV/Excel import assistant. For a repair or insurance case, generate a device data sheet or an insurance PDF with the details. All local on your PC, no account.

Serial number, receipt and deadline per device

Local on your Windows PC, searchable with Ctrl+K.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a serial number and a model number?

The model number names the product variant and is the same for all identical devices. The serial number belongs to your unit alone.

Should I share serial numbers publicly?

Better not. Give them only to the manufacturer, workshop, insurer or buyer when needed, and do not post them in forums or in publicly visible photos.

Is a photo of the rating plate enough?

As a backup, yes. Typing the number out is also worthwhile, since text is searchable and a photo is not.