One of the easiest ways to find out what Chrome OS version a Chromebook is on is to press ALT + V while on the login screen or the lock screen. You can see some other helpful information too including the Chrome OS version.
Recently, I’ve had two Chromebooks brought to me that we needed to check the warranty status on. I looked at the bottom of the Chromebooks and the sticker with the serial number was removed. Arg!
The good news is, if the Chromebook works, you can easily see the following information from the logon screen.
- Chrome OS Version
- Serial Number
- Asset ID field (managed Chromebooks)
If you are using a Chromebook that is managed by a school or business, the Asset ID is whatever you have entered into the Asset ID field. The Asset ID field is one of the custom fields you can modify in the Admin Console.
Typically, this would be an asset tag number. However, it can include any information you enter such as End of Warranty date, PO Number, etc…
Show Chromebook System Info on Sign-in Screen
Showing the Serial Number, Chrome OS Version, and Asset Tag info on a Chromebook Sign-in screen has gotten even easier in recent versions of Chrome OS.
There is now a setting in the Google Admin Console that can make this info automatically show up anytime a Chromebook is signed out or when it is locked!
If you have Google Admin Console rights for Device Settings within your organization you can make the change below. If not, share this info with your district’s friendly Google Administrator.
- Open the Google Admin Console
- Click the three lines/hotdogs in the top left corner
- Choose Devices > Chrome >Settings
- Click on the Devices tab
- Scroll down to the Sign-in settings section
- Scroll down further until you see System info on sign-in screen
- Change the default option to Always display system information on the sign-in screen
Now Pressing ALT + V will not be necessary. The same information will show up on the sign-on and lock screen automatically.
You can also see your Chromebook’s serial number on the System Info log screen. Check out my 8 Things You Can Learn From Chromebook System Logs to see how.
