Apple product repair parts will use longer 18-digit serial numbers from October

CTOnews.com MacRumors reported that Apple will use a longer serial number format for repair parts for iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch and other products starting October 1, a few weeks after the expected release of the new iPhone 14 / Pro series, Apple Watch Series 8 and other new products.

In a memo obtained by MacRumors, Apple notified authorized service providers that, effective Oct. 1, their machines and equipment would need to be updated to support the new, longer 18-digit repair part serial numbers.

The current serial number for service parts is 17 digits, and the new 18-digit serial number may only apply to future service parts, such as those for new iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs.

CTOnews.com has learned that prior to the launch of the iPhone 12 in 2020, Apple had informed authorized service providers that it planned to use random serial numbers for products.

Earlier Apple products used a 12-digit serial number format that users and service providers could use to determine the date and place of manufacture. It wasn't until the purple iPhone 12, launched in May 2021, that Apple began implementing a random serial number format.