Apart from unveiling iOS 14 at last year’s WWDC, Apple also announced to add support for third-party accessories to its “Find My” app. Now, the Cupertino giant has launched a new “Find My Certification Assistant” app for MFi (Made for iPhone) Licensees to test the functions of their accessories combined with Apple’s Find My network.
The app is currently available on the App Store (screenshot below) and is designed for third-party accessory manufacturers to test their products that include the ‘Find My’ network. As per the app’s description, it helps MFi Licensees to test the “discovery, connection, and other key requirements” of their products that will use Apple’s proprietory accessory-finder technology.
The Find My Certification Assistant app lets manufacturers perform an array of tests for their accessories. These include tests for connectivity, firmware, NFC, key management, power, sound, and more. Moreover, the app also leads to Apple’s MFi portal that provides more information about the company’s Made for iPhone (MFi) program.
The launch of the new Find My app does indicate that Apple is preparing to launch the third-party device program in the coming days. Moreover, it also indicates that Apple is nearly ready to launch its long-rumored, Tile-like finder-accessory AirTags.
The company also added support for adding third-party “items” in its Find My app recently. This will let users add other Bluetooth-enabled accessories from third-party manufacturers to their Find My app alongside the Apple devices.
Furthermore, with the Find My network open to other manufacturers, we can expect more Find My-compatible accessories to launch in the future. However, Apple’s AirTags will still have the advantage of using the company’s UWB (ultra-wideband) technology, thanks to the U1 chip.
