diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e6e0a4c..7ffb633 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ from harp import serial
 from harp.device import behavior, core
 
 # Use "COMx" on Windows, "/dev/ttyUSBx" on Linux.
-with serial.open_serial_device(behavior, port="COM3") as device:
+with serial.open_device(behavior, port="COM3") as device:
     print(device.read(core.WhoAmI).parsed)         # a common register
     print(device.read(behavior.AnalogData).parsed) # a device register
     device.write(
diff --git a/docs/api/serial.md b/docs/api/serial.md
index 44bfe72..ea9fc19 100644
--- a/docs/api/serial.md
+++ b/docs/api/serial.md
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 ---
 
 ::: harp.serial.SerialTransport
-::: harp.serial.open_serial_device
+::: harp.serial.open_device
diff --git a/docs/examples/create_device_module/create_device_module.py b/docs/examples/create_device_module/create_device_module.py
index 9ec3609..7c5af65 100644
--- a/docs/examples/create_device_module/create_device_module.py
+++ b/docs/examples/create_device_module/create_device_module.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 # Registers are ordinary register classes, so they work with `read` and `write` on
 # any `Device` over a transport. Passing the module itself validates the device
 # identity on open, against its `WHO_AM_I`, which a value of `0` skips.
-with serial.open_serial_device(behavior, port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
+with serial.open_device(behavior, port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
     print("AnalogData:", device.read(AnalogData).parsed)
 
 # The same register classes also decode a recorded binary dump into a pandas
diff --git a/docs/examples/get_info/get_info.py b/docs/examples/get_info/get_info.py
index 2deb17e..ca9109a 100755
--- a/docs/examples/get_info/get_info.py
+++ b/docs/examples/get_info/get_info.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 # Omitting the device argument gives schema-free access, which skips the identity
 # check, so this works against any device. The connection closes on exit.
-with serial.open_serial_device(port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
+with serial.open_device(port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
     # Identify the device.
     print("WhoAmI:", device.read(core.WhoAmI).parsed)
 
diff --git a/docs/examples/read_and_write_from_registers/read_and_write_from_registers.py b/docs/examples/read_and_write_from_registers/read_and_write_from_registers.py
index 517fb3d..99ab010 100755
--- a/docs/examples/read_and_write_from_registers/read_and_write_from_registers.py
+++ b/docs/examples/read_and_write_from_registers/read_and_write_from_registers.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 SERIAL_PORT = "/dev/ttyUSB0"  # or "COMx" in Windows, where "x" is the serial port number
 
-with serial.open_serial_device(client.Device, port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
+with serial.open_device(client.Device, port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
     # Read a scalar register.
     print("WhoAmI:", device.read(core.WhoAmI).parsed)
 
diff --git a/docs/examples/subscribing_to_events/subscribing_to_events.py b/docs/examples/subscribing_to_events/subscribing_to_events.py
index e286e25..c04b91d 100644
--- a/docs/examples/subscribing_to_events/subscribing_to_events.py
+++ b/docs/examples/subscribing_to_events/subscribing_to_events.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def print_any_event(msg: HarpMessage) -> None:
     print(f"[{msg.address}] {msg.timestamp:.6f}  {msg.message_type.name:<5s}  {value}")
 
 
-with serial.open_serial_device(client.Device, port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
+with serial.open_device(client.Device, port=SERIAL_PORT) as device:
     # Subscribe to a single, typed register: the handler receives a parsed payload.
     timestamp_subscription = device.subscribe(core.TimestampSeconds, print_timestamp)
 
diff --git a/src/packages/harp-device/README.md b/src/packages/harp-device/README.md
index 3afe707..8446684 100644
--- a/src/packages/harp-device/README.md
+++ b/src/packages/harp-device/README.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ This is the same structure `create_device_module` builds from a schema, so a dev
 
 A device module names only what its schema declares, the registers beside the enums and payload classes they are built from, so `REGISTER_MAP` is the device address space while the module namespace is what the device adds to it. The common registers and any core mask the schema reuses have a single definition, in `harp.device.core`, and are reached from there rather than through the device module. The core register set is not a device, so it carries no `WHO_AM_I`.
 
-Pass the module to `Device`, or to `open_serial_device`, to validate identity on open:
+Pass the module to `Device`, or to `open_device`, to validate identity on open:
 
 ```python
 from harp.device import behavior, client, core
diff --git a/src/packages/harp-serial/README.md b/src/packages/harp-serial/README.md
index 2507e47..ea824f2 100644
--- a/src/packages/harp-serial/README.md
+++ b/src/packages/harp-serial/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # harp-serial
 
-Serial transport for [`harp-device`](../harp-device). Provides `SerialTransport` and the `open_serial_device` factory, which pairs a device module or a `Device` class with a serial port. This is the package that pulls in `pyserial`.
+Serial transport for [`harp-device`](../harp-device). Provides `SerialTransport` and the `open_device` factory, which pairs a device module or a `Device` class with a serial port. This is the package that pulls in `pyserial`.
 
 ## Usage
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from harp import serial
 from harp.device import behavior, core
 
 # Use "COMx" on Windows, "/dev/ttyUSBx" on Linux.
-with serial.open_serial_device(behavior, port="COM3") as device:
+with serial.open_device(behavior, port="COM3") as device:
     print(device.read(core.WhoAmI).parsed)         # a common register
     print(device.read(behavior.AnalogData).parsed) # a device register
 ```
diff --git a/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/__init__.py b/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/__init__.py
index 20877d0..05f0f36 100644
--- a/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/__init__.py
+++ b/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-from ._serial import SerialTransport, open_serial_device
+from ._serial import SerialTransport, open_device
 
 __all__ = [
     "SerialTransport",
-    "open_serial_device",
+    "open_device",
 ]
diff --git a/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/_serial.py b/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/_serial.py
index deb9ab6..1be209a 100644
--- a/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/_serial.py
+++ b/src/packages/harp-serial/src/harp/serial/_serial.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def close(self) -> None:
 
 
 @overload
-def open_serial_device(
+def open_device(
     device_or_module: type[D],
     *,
     port: str,
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def open_serial_device(
 
 
 @overload
-def open_serial_device(
+def open_device(
     device_or_module: M,
     *,
     port: str,
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def open_serial_device(
 
 
 @overload
-def open_serial_device(
+def open_device(
     device_or_module: None = ...,
     *,
     port: str,
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def open_serial_device(
 ) -> Device[None]: ...
 
 
-def open_serial_device(
+def open_device(
     device_or_module: DeviceModuleLike | type[D] | None = None,
     *,
     port: str,
@@ -98,13 +98,13 @@ def open_serial_device(
 
         from harp.device import behavior, core
 
-        with open_serial_device(behavior, port="COM3") as dev:
+        with open_device(behavior, port="COM3") as dev:
             dev.read(core.WhoAmI)           # a common register
             dev.read(behavior.AnalogData)   # declared by the schema
 
     - **Device subclass**: instantiates the subclass directly, preserving its type::
 
-        with open_serial_device(MyBehavior, port="COM3") as dev:
+        with open_device(MyBehavior, port="COM3") as dev:
             dev.arm()   # method defined on MyBehavior
 
     Omit the first argument for schema-free access, which skips the identity check.
diff --git a/tests/conformance.py b/tests/conformance.py
index fce5e5c..3d27ade 100644
--- a/tests/conformance.py
+++ b/tests/conformance.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from harp.device.core import OperationControl, OperationControlPayload, WhoAmI
 from harp.device.schema import DeviceModule, DeviceModuleLike, create_device_module
 from harp.protocol import ParsedHarpMessage, RegisterBase
-from harp.serial import open_serial_device
+from harp.serial import open_device
 
 
 def schema_built_registers(yml: str) -> None:
@@ -51,27 +51,27 @@ def device_without_module(transport: ITransport) -> None:
     assert_type(device.module, None)
 
 
-def open_serial_device_with_module(module: DeviceModule) -> None:
-    """open_serial_device with a module returns Device[M]."""
-    device = open_serial_device(module, port="COM3")
+def open_device_with_module(module: DeviceModule) -> None:
+    """open_device with a module returns Device[M]."""
+    device = open_device(module, port="COM3")
     assert_type(device, Device[DeviceModule])
     assert_type(device.module, DeviceModule)
 
 
-def open_serial_device_without_module() -> None:
-    """open_serial_device without a module returns Device[None]."""
-    device = open_serial_device(port="COM3")
+def open_device_without_module() -> None:
+    """open_device without a module returns Device[None]."""
+    device = open_device(port="COM3")
     assert_type(device, Device[None])
     assert_type(device.module, None)
 
 
-def open_serial_device_with_subclass() -> None:
-    """open_serial_device with a Device subclass preserves its type."""
+def open_device_with_subclass() -> None:
+    """open_device with a Device subclass preserves its type."""
 
     class MyDevice(Device[DeviceModule]):
         def arm(self) -> None: ...
 
-    device = open_serial_device(MyDevice, port="COM3")
+    device = open_device(MyDevice, port="COM3")
     assert_type(device, MyDevice)
 
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def open_dataset_keeps_supplied_module_type(generated: DeviceModuleLike) -> None
     assert_type(open_dataset("session.harp", generated), DatasetReader[DeviceModuleLike])
 
 
-def open_serial_device_prefers_the_subclass_overload() -> None:
+def open_device_prefers_the_subclass_overload() -> None:
     """A Device subclass is matched as a subclass even when it looks like a module.
 
     type[D] is narrower than the structural module overload, so it has to come first:
@@ -129,5 +129,5 @@ class Hybrid(Device[None]):
         WHO_AM_I: ClassVar[int] = 1216
         REGISTER_MAP: ClassVar[dict[int, type[RegisterBase[Any]]]] = {}
 
-    device = open_serial_device(Hybrid, port="COM3")
+    device = open_device(Hybrid, port="COM3")
     assert_type(device, Hybrid)