There’s apparently a hidden “developer mode” for the AirTags, and that’s pretty nifty.
A frustrated AirTag owner inadvertently discovered a hidden “developer mode” in the on-screen interface that Find My displays when the Precision Finding feature is activated to help locate one of Apple’s item trackers.
Precision Finding is a feature that offers specific on-screen directions that can be used to find a nearby AirTag. Other devices with a U1 chip, such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models, can take advantage of the feature, which combines camera input, AR, sound, Ultra Wideband radio technology, and haptic feedback to help locate the item tracker.
The hidden mode’s overlay appears to appear after tapping the item’s name four times in the Precision Finding interface, and displays real-time diagnostic and technical information about the feature’s operation, including accelerometer and gyroscope coordinates, haptic feedback, screen resolution, tracking animations, and more.
The user posted the following video of the hidden mode in action:
Apple sells individual AirTags for $29, while a pack of four AirTags can be purchased for $99. Single AirTags ordered directly from Apple currently ship in five to seven days, while engraved AirTags and multipacks are currently on a five- to six-week lead time.
If you’ve gotten your hands on some AirTags, please let us know about your experience in the comments.