How to check Mac model and year
You need to check your Mac model and year to buy the right charger, see whether a new macOS supports your Mac, pick the right instructions for Apple silicon or Intel, and before you sell it. macOS shows it in a couple of clicks, and this guide also covers finding the exact model by serial number, even for a Mac that doesn’t turn on.
How to check Mac model in About This Mac
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose About This Mac.
- Read the model at the top of the window, for example MacBook Air. The line under it gives the screen size, chip and year, like “13-inch, M2, 2022”.
Below the name are Chip or Processor, Memory, Serial number and the macOS version. A line called Chip means your Mac has Apple silicon (M1, M2 and later). A line called Processor means it’s an Intel Mac. Guides about Safe Mode, Recovery and resets often have different steps for the two.
More details: model identifier and System Report
- In the About This Mac window, click More Info. System Settings opens at General › About.
- Scroll down and click System Report.
- Click Hardware at the top of the sidebar. On the right you see the Model Name, the Model Identifier (like
MacBookPro18,1) and the Serial Number.
A shortcut to the same report: hold the Option key, click the Apple menu and choose System Information.
The model identifier tells apart Macs with the same name, such as two MacBook Pro models of one year. Apple’s “Identify your Mac” articles on support.apple.com list every MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro with their identifiers and pictures.
Find the exact model by serial number
- Copy the serial number from About This Mac.
- Open
checkcoverage.apple.comin a browser, enter the serial number and the code from the picture. - The page shows the exact model and whether the Mac is still under warranty or AppleCare.
If the Mac is signed in to your Apple Account, you can also see it from any device: sign in at account.apple.com and click Devices. Click your Mac to see its model and serial number.
If the Mac doesn’t turn on
The serial number is printed on the Mac itself, usually on its underside, near the regulatory markings. It’s also on the original box, next to the barcode. Enter it on checkcoverage.apple.com to get the model.
If the logic board was replaced in a repair, the printed serial number may no longer be active. Once the Mac starts, use the number from About This Mac.
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Questions and answers
How do I check my Mac model and year?
Choose Apple menu › About This Mac. The model name is at the top, and the line under it includes the year, for example “13-inch, M2, 2022”.
How do I know if my Mac has Apple silicon or Intel?
Open About This Mac. Macs with Apple silicon show a Chip line (Apple M1 or later), Intel Macs show a Processor line with an Intel model.
Where is the serial number on a MacBook?
In About This Mac, in System Report under Hardware, and printed on the underside of the MacBook. It’s also on the original box.