How do I find the serial number for my Nintendo Switch if it won’t turn on?
So you need the serial number for your Nintendo Switch to send it in for repair, resale, or to report it as lost/stolen. You’ve got options!
The best route to go depends on whether you’ve still got the console, and whether it still turns on.
1) Check the settings
If you’ve still got the Switch in hand and it still powers on, the serial number is easy to find: go to your Home Screen (where you’d go to launch a game), tap System Settings (the sun icon near the bottom of the screen), scroll down and tap “System”, then look for “Serial Numbers” — the top item here is your console’s serial.
2) Check the hardware itself
If you’ve still got the Switch but it won’t turn on, you’ll have to look around on the Switch hardware itself. It’ll be in a different place depending on which Switch you own (Regular? OLED? Lite?), but the serial number should be printed on the console if you know where to look.
Switch OLED: Of the three Switch versions, the serial number here is the hardest to find — it’s hidden on the underside of the kickstand. Flip the kickstand all the way up and you should find a white sticker hiding underneath with a barcode and your serial number.
Switch (Regular): Look on the bottom edge of the device, near the USB-C docking port. There should be a white sticker with a series of numbers/letters — that’s your serial.
Switch Lite: Same as the Switch (Regular) — check the bottom edge for a white sticker with the serial printed on it.
It’s not uncommon for that sticker to have worn off or have been removed — especially if you’ve owned it for a while, or if you had some sort of sticky decorative skin on the device. If yours is no longer legible, you can still…
3) Check the box
Ack! Your Switch has disappeared. You need the serial number to file a police report or insurance claim, but you don’t HAVE the Switch to pull the serial number from.
You’ve got one final option: check the box, assuming you still have it. Whether it’s a regular Switch, Switch Lite, or Switch OLED, your serial number should be printed at the bottom of the box.
(Bonus option: call Nintendo customer service, especially if your Switch is linked to a Nintendo Online account. While it’s not an official solution and policies can change, some users on reddit have reported that Nintendo customer service could look up their serial number in situations like this.)
—--
If you get your Switch back in working shape and decide it’s time to part ways with it, we’re here to help! We’ll give you an instant offer on your Nintendo Switch and immediately let you put that money towards the cost of a new device — whether that’s a newer/better Switch, a different console, or any one of the countless gadgets we offer in the Tiptop shop.