macOS 27 adds a simple way to check when your Mac was manufactured. The information is tucked inside the Regulatory Certification section in System Settings, where Apple now includes a new Date of Manufacture field.
Apple stopped putting manufacturing details in serial numbers several years ago, so newer Macs did not have an easy way to show this information. In macOS 27, you can find the date without having to decode the serial number or use a separate website.
How To Find Your Mac’s Manufacture Date
The Date of Manufacture field is inside the Mac’s regulatory certificate. To find it:
- Open System Settings on your Mac.
- Click General.
- Select About.
- Under the System Report button, click Regulatory Certification.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the certificate.
- Look for Date of Manufacture.
The date appears directly in the certificate along with the Mac’s regulatory information. There is no additional setting to turn on.
Why Macs Lost This Information
Apple used to encode manufacturing details in its device serial numbers. By decoding the serial number, it was possible to determine when and, in some cases, where an Apple device was manufactured.
That changed in 2021, when Apple began switching to randomized serial numbers. The new format removed the manufacturing information that had previously been embedded in the serial number.
As a result, owners of newer Macs could no longer use the serial number to work out when their computer was made. The Regulatory Certification in macOS 27 provides a different way to find that information.
The Date May Refer To Your Mac’s Logic Board
The date shown in macOS 27 may not always represent the exact day the complete Mac was assembled.
One Mac user reported that the date on their certificate appeared to correspond to the logic board. In that case, the Mac had previously had its logic board replaced, which suggests that the manufacture date may be tied to the board rather than the finished computer.
That means the date is useful for checking the hardware’s manufacturing information, but it may not always tell you exactly when the Mac that you are holding left the factory.
The Option Is Easy To Miss
Regulatory Certification is not presented as a separate item on the main About screen. You have to open the certificate to see the new field, which is why the option can be overlooked.
The Regulatory Certification first appeared during the macOS 27 beta cycle and was not prominently announced by Apple. It remains available in macOS 27 Golden Gate.
If you’re checking an older Mac, the feature can also provide a quick way to see its manufacturing information without looking up the serial number elsewhere.
