How to Check Your iPhone Warranty Status on Apple’s Site

Before you pay for any iPhone repair, it is worth two minutes checking whether Apple already covers it. Every iPhone includes a limited warranty, many have AppleCare on top, and in countries like the UK and EU, consumer law rights can protect you even longer.

Apple’s coverage checker shows the real status in seconds. You just need the phone’s serial number, and the result tells you the purchase date Apple has on record, whether the warranty is active, and whether repair and telephone support are still covered.

This guide walks through the check on Apple’s website, shows how to do it on the iPhone itself, and explains what each line of the result actually means.

Quick Answer

To check your iPhone warranty on Apple’s website, go to checkcoverage.apple.com, enter your iPhone’s serial number (found in Settings, General, About), complete the code check, and submit. The results show your warranty status, AppleCare eligibility or coverage, and support expiry. On the phone itself, Settings, General, AppleCare and Warranty shows the same information without a browser.

Find Your Serial Number First

Apple’s coverage system works on the serial number, not the IMEI. Luckily it is in the same place as everything else about your phone.

1. Open Settings and tap General, then About.
2. Note the Serial Number line near the top. Touch and hold to copy it.
3. If the phone will not turn on, the serial number is also on the original box’s barcode label and in Finder or iTunes when connected.

Modern serial numbers are a mix of around 10 to 12 letters and numbers. Do not confuse it with the longer IMEI or the model identifier, which are different lines on the same screen.

Run the Check on Apple’s Coverage Website

The website works from any phone, tablet or computer, and you do not need to sign in just to check a serial number.

1. Open your browser and go to checkcoverage.apple.com.
2. Type or paste the serial number exactly as shown.
3. Enter the security code shown on the page to prove you are not a robot.
4. Submit, and read the coverage summary for that exact device.

The result lists the device model, its validated purchase date, whether repairs and service coverage are active, whether telephone technical support is active, and any AppleCare plan attached to the device.

Check Coverage on the iPhone Itself

Recent iOS versions show coverage without any website at all, which is faster when the phone is in your hand.

1. Open Settings and tap General.
2. Tap AppleCare and Warranty (labelled Coverage on some versions).
3. Tap your iPhone in the device list.
4. Read the status: Limited Warranty or an AppleCare plan, with the expiry date.

This screen also shows other devices on your Apple account, such as AirPods and a paired Apple Watch, each with its own cover status. It is the quickest place to check before any of them needs a repair.

Understand What the Result Means

The wording on the coverage page matters, because different lines cover different things.

• Valid Purchase Date: Apple has proof of when the phone was bought. If this is missing, repairs can be delayed until you provide a receipt.
• Repairs and Service Coverage: Active means manufacturing defects are repaired free under the limited warranty or AppleCare. Expired means hardware repairs are chargeable.
• Telephone Technical Support: almost always expires after 90 days unless you have AppleCare. Chat and Genius Bar help still exist afterwards.
• AppleCare plan shown: accidental damage is covered too, with an excess fee per incident, and battery replacement is free when health falls below 80 percent.

Remember that the standard limited warranty never covers accidental damage like cracked screens or liquid damage. It covers defects. If your phone is out of warranty entirely, our notes on finding your iPhone IMEI number will still help you with carrier and insurer checks, which use IMEI rather than serial.

What to Do If Your iPhone Is Out of Warranty

An expired result on the coverage checker is not the end of the road. First, separate defects from damage. Accidental damage (drops, spills) was never covered by the standard warranty anyway, so nothing is lost there. Manufacturing defects are different: in the UK and EU, consumer law can require the retailer to sort out a genuine fault for years after purchase, regardless of what Apple’s checker says, so always ask the seller first and mention your consumer rights calmly and specifically.

Second, price the repair properly. Apple’s out-of-warranty fees are published, and authorised repairers charge the same parts prices in most cases. An independent shop may be cheaper, but for anything involving Face ID, waterproofing seals, or battery safety, genuine parts and calibration are worth the difference.

Third, weigh the phone’s value. A flagship two years old with a failed logic board may be worth less than the repair; the same fault on this year’s model is an obvious fix. Apple also offers trade-in credit even for some damaged devices, which can soften the cost of replacing rather than repairing. Run the coverage check, learn exactly where you stand, then choose with real numbers in front of you.

Common Mistakes and Helpful Tips

• Check coverage BEFORE booking a paid repair. Shops will not always tell you a defect is covered by Apple for free.
• If the purchase date is wrong or missing, upload your receipt through the coverage page or Apple Support to fix the record.
• Consumer law in the UK and EU can give you rights beyond Apple’s own warranty. Mention consumer law when a defect appears on a phone under a few years old.
• AppleCare can sometimes be added within 60 days of purchase, and occasionally later after an inspection. The coverage screen tells you if your phone is still eligible.

Apple’s own support page explains coverage types and what to do if details are wrong. See the official Apple page on checking your coverage status for the current links and wording.

Conclusion

Checking your iPhone’s warranty takes two minutes: grab the serial number from Settings, General, About, enter it at checkcoverage.apple.com, or simply open Settings, General, AppleCare and Warranty on the phone. Knowing whether you have limited warranty, AppleCare, or nothing at all changes every repair decision, and a valid purchase date plus consumer law rights can save you the full cost of a defect repair.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the standard iPhone warranty?

Apple’s limited warranty lasts one year from the purchase date in most countries and covers manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship. It does not cover accidental damage. Legal consumer rights in the UK and EU may extend your protection for faults beyond that year.

My coverage page says the purchase date is not validated. What do I do?

Apple needs proof of purchase. Use the link on the coverage results page or contact Apple Support with your original receipt or invoice, and they update the record. Until it is validated, warranty repairs can be refused or delayed.

Does AppleCare cover a cracked screen?

Yes. AppleCare plans cover unlimited accidental damage incidents, each with a fixed excess fee that is much lower than the full repair price. Screen-only damage has the smallest fee. Without AppleCare, a cracked screen is always a paid repair.

Can I check the warranty of a used iPhone before buying it?

Yes, and you should. Ask the seller for the serial number privately, run it through Apple’s coverage checker, and confirm the model matches and some coverage or a valid purchase date exists. Also check the phone itself is not Activation Locked before paying.

The website says my warranty expired but the phone is only 18 months old. Can anything help?

Possibly. If the fault is a genuine defect, consumer protection law in the UK and EU can require the seller to repair or replace faulty goods for considerably longer than one year. Raise it with the retailer who sold the phone, citing consumer law, before paying Apple for the repair.