As part of the iOS 18.2 public beta, Apple just introduced a big upgrade to the Find My feature that lets you share an Air Tag location with others. The new feature, called Share Item Location, could let you share the location of lost luggage with an airline.
“Find My is an essential tool for users around the world to keep track of and find their belongings,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “With Share Item Location, we’re excited to give users a new way to easily share this information directly with third parties like airlines, all while protecting their privacy.”
Apple said more than 15 airlines will offer the feature “in the coming months,” including Delta, United, Air Canada, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, Aer Lingus, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Iberia, SWISS, Turkish Airlines, and Vueling. More airlines will follow “over time.”
United is aiming to implement the feature systemwide in “early 2025,” according to a quote the airline provided in Apple’s press release.
The feature will be integrated into each airline’s customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed baggage, according to Apple. This will make it easier for the airline to help find lost bags with an AirTag attached to them.
Apple said it worked directly with airlines to put systems in place to “privately and securely” accept the “Share Item Location” links. Access to each link will be “limited to a small number of people,” and recipients will be required to “authenticate” to view the link through either their Apple Account or partner email address. The item’s location will stop being shared “as soon as a user is reunited with their item,” or at any time that the item’s owner decides. An item’s shared location will automatically expire after seven days.
In addition to items equipped with an AirTag, the feature also works with third-party accessories and item trackers that support the Find My network.
According to Apple’s announcement, for those who have iOS 18.2 beta access, Share Item Location is available “in most regions worldwide.” However, if you have an iPhone X or later, Apple says that the update will come out “soon.”