Overview

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Below you will find instructions showing how to find the OS (Operating System) of a device. You may need to find the OS version of your device to and aid in identifying your device for troubleshooting purposes.

On this page:

• Computers
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux/Unix
  • Chromebook
• Mobile Devices
  • iPhone/iPad (iOS)
  • Android

Critical Concepts

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• The OS, which stands for Operating System, is the most important software that runs on a computer
• It manages the computer's memory and processes, as well as all of its software and hardware
• Every device has an OS; without one, you would not be able to interact with your computer

Steps to Take

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Computers

Windows

To find your Windows OS version:

1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type winver into the Open: box, then click OK. This will display your Windows version and build.

To learn more about your Windows system:

• Windows 10 or 11:
  1. Using your keyboard, press the Windows logo key, then type About.
  2. Click About your PC in the search results to view system details, including whether you're using 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. 
• Windows 8 or 8.1:
  
  

  If you're using a touch device:	If you're using a mouse:
  Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap Settings > Change PC settings. Go to PC and devices > PC Info. Under Windows, you'll see your edition and version. Under PC > System type, you'll see if it's 32-bit or 64-bit.	Move your mouse to the lower-right corner of the screen When the menu appears, click Settings > Change PC settings. Go to PC and devices > PC info. Under Windows, you'll see your edition and version. Under PC > System type, you'll see if it's 32-bit or 64-bit.

• Windows 7:
  1. Click the Start button, type Computer in the search box.
  2. Right-click on Computer, and then select Properties.
  3. Under Windows edition, you'll see the version and edition of Windows that your device is running.

Mac

To find your MacOS version:

1. Click the Apple icon menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select About This Mac.
3. A box will appear displaying the macOS name (e.g., macOS Sequoia) and version number.

Linux/Unix

To find your Linux/Unix version:

1. Open your terminal application (if this is a remote server, remote in with ssh user@server-name).
2. Type uname -r to find your Linux kernel version.
3. Type cat /etc/os-release to view your distribution name and version.

Sample Output from cat /etc/os-release:

NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="17.10 (Artful Aardvark)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 17.10"
VERSION_ID="17.10"
HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy"
VERSION_CODENAME=artful
UBUNTU_CODENAME=artful

Chromebook

To find your Chrome OS version:

1. Click on the time in the lower-right corner of the screen.
2. Select the Settings icon (the gear) in the upper row of the pop-up window.
3. In the left-hand menu, scroll down and click About Chrome OS.

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Mobile Devices

iPhone/iPad (iOS)

To find your iOS version:

1. Select Settings from your home screen.
2. Go to General > About.
3. Find the Version line, which displays the iOS version.

Android

To find your Android version:

Settings menus can vary across different Android devices. For the majority of cases, these general steps should work:

1. Open your device's Settings.
2. Tap About Phone (often near the bottom of the list) or About Device.
3. Tap Software Information or Android Version to display your version details.