Android phones and tablets

On the device — no terminal needed

Settings → About phone → Status information.

That screen lists the serial number, the IMEI (on cellular models), and the Wi-Fi MAC address. On a Samsung Galaxy the model name is on the About phone screen one level up, and the model code (something like SM-S931U) is on the same screen under Model number.

Record the model code, not just “Galaxy S25” — the carrier and region variants are different products and matter for repairs.

Menu wording varies by manufacturer and Android version. Two reliable fallbacks:

• Settings → search for “serial” in the settings search box.
• Settings → About phone → tap Software information if Status isn’t where you expect.

On the hardware

Modern phones print almost nothing on the case. Check:

• The SIM tray — some models etch the IMEI on it.
• The original box — the label on the end carries the serial, IMEI, and model code. This is the most reliable physical source for a phone.
• Under the case, if there’s a sticker still attached.

From a computer

With USB debugging enabled and the phone plugged in — works from Windows, macOS, or Linux:

adb devices -l
adb shell getprop ro.serialno
adb shell getprop ro.product.model

See Reading it from the OS for how to get adb set up. This is the fast path when you’re logging several devices at once.

Meta Quest headsets are Android too

Everything above works on a Quest in Developer Mode, but the headset has its own printed serial and its own quirks — see Meta / Oculus .

What to record

Serial, model code, and (for cellular units) the IMEI. Add the Wi-Fi MAC if the phone lives on the lab network — and read IP and MAC addresses first, because Android randomizes its MAC per network by default and the randomized one is useless for tracking.