How to Find Your iPhone UDID

iPhone UUID/ UDID

If you are beta testing an application, or working with a developer to track down an issue, the developer will almost certainly have to ask you to provide your UDID. This page describes details of what a UDID actually is, and how to find it.

When manufactured every iPhone is assigned an identifier that is unique to that physical device. This is commonly referred to as it’s ‘UDID’, an acronym for Universally Device Identifier. It’s worth noting that the UDID is anonymous, e.g. if you have a UDID there is no way to tie that to a person.

iTunes will only install applications that have been digitally signed by a developer using an Apple-provided certificate. Applications can either be signed for the AppStore where they can be used by anyone who purchases a copy, or for AdHoc distribution where users install the application by adding it to iTunes. With Adhoc distribution the developer must include the UDID of all devices in the certificate for the application. This is intended to prevent people freely distributing their applications.

Below are instructions for retrieving your UDID. Alternatively you can download Erica Sudan’s most helpful and free AdHoc Helper Application from the AppStore.

1) Start iTunes and connect your iPhone

2) On the Summary page for your iPhone, click on the word “Serial Number:” text

3) The serial number should change to the word “Identifier”, followed by a long string of numbers and digits

4) When you press CTRL+C (Windows) or Command/AppleKey + C (Mac) and the UDID will be copied to the clipboard and can then be pasted into an Email / IM window / whatever