Camera Serial Numbers in Photos: Who Can Read Them

Where the serial number is stored

A camera file holds several places where an identifier can sit:

• BodySerialNumber: an EXIF field for the serial number of the camera body. ExifTool lists it among its documented tags.
• LensSerialNumber: an EXIF field for the serial number of the lens, when the camera can read it.
• MakerNote: a block that each camera maker fills in its own way. It can hold a serial number under names such as SerialNumber or InternalSerialNumber. Ordinary viewers often do not decode it.

Not every camera writes these fields. Some models write no serial number at all. Some makers store an internal number that differs from the one printed on the camera body or the box.

Who uses serial numbers

The best-known use is finding stolen gear. Stolen Camera Finder says it crawls the web for photos, collects the serial numbers of the cameras that took them, and matches them against a serial number that you give it. You can drop in an old photo from your camera, or type the number from the box or the warranty card. Its FAQ says that a serial number is unique only within one brand and model, that photos need to be JPEG files for drag and drop, and that some cameras do not store a serial number.

That is useful if your camera is stolen. It also shows the risk. If you post original files with the serial number, anyone can link those files to one camera, and a buyer or a stranger can do the same. People who sell a used camera or lens often publish listing photos taken with it. If the original files stay intact, the serial number is in them.

How to check your own files

Open the EXIF viewer and add a photo. It lists each field with its value, so you can look for a serial number, the camera model and the lens. Your photo does not go to a server.

If you use ExifTool, this command prints the serial number fields of one file:

exiftool -a -G1 -s -SerialNumber -BodySerialNumber -LensSerialNumber photo.jpg

Check the original file from the camera, not a copy from a social network. Many sites remove metadata when you upload, so a copy may show nothing even when the original has a serial number.

How to remove the serial number

Open WipePic, add your photos and select Remove Metadata. WipePic removes the camera and phone model, the serial numbers, the GPS location, the date and time, the author and other hidden data.

WipePic keeps the orientation, the color profile, transparency, animation and HDR data. It does not re-encode the image when it cleans it, so the pixels do not change. It then reads the cleaned file again and saves it only if no removable metadata is left.

It cleans JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, GIF, TIFF and DNG, up to 300 files per batch and 50 MB each. Several files download as one ZIP.

What a serial number can and cannot show

A serial number is a label for one device. It does not say who owns the device. Three things can still go wrong when you share original files:

• Photos that you post under different names can be linked to the same camera.
• A person who has the number, from a warranty form, a receipt or a sale, can tie your photos to you.
• A seller who lists used gear with original photos tells every buyer the serial number of the item. If you do not want that, clean the photos first.

Phone photos often carry no serial number. Stolen Camera Finder says that iPhones store none. They still carry the phone model, the date and often the location, which can be enough to link photos.

When to keep the serial number

Keep an untouched copy of your original photos in a private place. If your camera is ever stolen, an original file with the serial number helps you show that the camera is yours. Send the cleaned copies to other people.

WipePic removes metadata. It does not hide who you are from a picture that shows your face, your car or your street. For that, read Can EXIF Data Track You?

Sources

Stolen Camera Finder, how it works, read on November 8, 2026. ExifTool EXIF tag names for BodySerialNumber and LensSerialNumber.