Guide To The Symbols On The Back Of iPhones

Technology is complicated, don't you think? Especially your iPhone. There's so much going on under the hood that you're not aware of, all in the name of user-friendliness and convenience, that you can't possibly know if it's working like it's supposed to. But hey, just so long as you can text and check Facebook, right?

There's something going on outside your iPhone, too. It's a secret code that you'd never be able to crack on your own. Here's the scoop.

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Okay, so you probably don't look at the back of your iPhone very often. Maybe you even have a case over it. But at some point, you've probably seen a long string of numbers and symbols on the back.

It turns out there's a good reason why they're there.

The first string of letters and numbers is for the government.

The FCC ID and IC numbers are just identifiers the American and Canadian governments use to show that the device is legit.

The first set of numbers and letters, underlined here in red, refer to the company that makes the product.

The second set, underlined in blue, indicate the specific product.

Only products that meet industry standards get these numbers.

Your iPhone also has an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.

Just like the VIN on your car, every iPhone has a unique identification number that singles it out as YOUR phone. It's associated with you. However, not all iPhones have this number on the back. On newer phones, it's included in the software.

So what about that bottom row of symbols?

On the left is the symbol for the Federal Communications Commission.

It's another sign of approval that the iPhone has met the FCC's standards and it's good enough to be sold in the U.S.

The next symbol is straightforward, showing that the iPhone can't just go in the trash.

Not only does your phone contain nasty toxic chemicals, it also stores a lot of sensitive information about you, so don't just toss it when you upgrade.

The last three symbols have to do with Europe.

The exclamation point in the circle shows that one country doesn't approve of the product. In this case, the iPhone works in a frequency range outside of what France allows.

The second symbol shows that the product can legally be sold in the EU, just like the FCC symbol does for America.

And the CE symbol shows that the product meets the safety standards of the European Union. Again, later models of iPhone move much of this information to the software rather than printing it on the back of the phone.

[h/t: Tech Insider]

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