Apple has launched a new app, Find My Certification Assistant, designed for use by MFI (Made for iPhone) licensees who need to test the interoperability of their accessories with My Network to find Apple.
Network users help find lost Apple devices such as iPhones, AirPods and Mac computers among other things – but other compatible accessories built by third parties are ready to add support for search. The launch of the experimental application indicates that Apple may be ready to announce the launch of a third-party device program in the near future.
As per the description of the application, MFI licensees can find the help of my certificate. To test “discovery, connectivity other key requirements” for accessories that will include Apple’s My Network technology. It also points to information about my Network Certification Find on Apple’s MFI portal at mfi.apple.com, which is currently “launching soon” Search My Network as MFI Program Technology. Screenshots of the new application indicate that it allows a variety of tests to be performed on connections, sound (for example, the item may sound when placed in the wrong place), firmware, key management, NFC, power, and more.
The app made publicly available on the iOS App Store on Sunday, April 4, according to Sensor Tower. It is brand new so it does not have rankings in any App Store category, including its own, “Developer Tools” or others. It currently has no ratings or reviews. The launch of the app aims to open up Apple’s search network to third parties, and Apple plans to launch its own new accessory, the AirTags.
At last year’s Global Developers Conference, Apple announced for the first time that it would open up third-party devices after finding out if Apple planned to give in to pressure from regulators in the United States and Europe, among other things. Competing with Tile’s Lost Items Finder, AirTags take advantage with its upcoming launch. Prominent Apple critic Tile complained that AirTags would be able to connect to Apple’s U1 chips, which use UWB (ultra-wideband) technology for more precise searches, and mentioned in a congressional hearing that AirTags would work with Apple’s own search app, which ships to Apple devices by default.
Tile believes that this will give Apple a first-party advantage in the lost items search market, which has been successfully established and dominated for years. Apple, in response, last year opened up access its U1 chip to third-party developers through its “proximity-related” framework. As a result, in January 2021 Tile announced plans to launch a new tracker powered by UWB. Most recently, Apple updated its app to include a new tab called “Items” to prepare for the app’s extended support for AirTags and other third-party accessories such as tiles and extended support for others.
This “Items” tab has been enabled in Apple’s latest iOS 14.5 beta release, where the app explains how the Find My app will now be able to help users keep track of their daily items – accessories and other items that are relevant to my search, including.
