Lightning History

The Lightning connector that iPhones, iPods and iPads have been using since 2012 is a proprietary connector created by Apple. Inside each lightning connector is a tiny authentication chip that tells your device it’s Apple MFI Certified. This is important because non-certified, or knock-off, lightning cables can be very dangerous to your device. (You may have noticed a warning message on your phone when a non-MFI cable was detected.) These cables can often times get extremely hot, cause damage to your phone, and even render it completely fried and useless.

As part of the approval process, you must submit samples of your cables to Apple’s independent testing facility to undergo rigorous mechanical, stress, and electrical tests. Beyond this, every single cable made is tested twice during production with advanced electrical testing equipment to ensure that there are no defects and that every cable is up Apple’s MFI quality standards. Apple also routinely audits MFI Manufacturing facilities.

How do I know if my cable is certified?

Well, the good news is you can look it up here: https://mfi.apple.com/MFiWeb/getAPS. You’ll need the manufacturer name and/or the MPN/UPC.