Apple has announced that iOS 18.2 will include a nifty feature for AirTag and the Find My service. The company has confirmed that the Find My service will soon allow AirTag users to share the location of lost items with others, including airlines and third parties. The feature is called Share Item Location, and here’s everything users need to know.
iOS 18.2 Will Come With a Share Item Location Feature
Apple has introduced Share Item Location, a new feature in most regions globally, as part of the iOS 18.2 public beta. The update is scheduled to roll out as a free update to iPhone XS or newer in December. Users can use the new Share Item Location feature to generate a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
This link can be shared with airlines, third parties, and other trusted people, who can check the location of the item on an interactive map through a website. This website will automatically update when a new location is available with a timestamp of the most recent update.
To assure user security, the Share Item Location link will be turned off when the user gets the item back or chooses to stop sharing. Furthermore, the link will automatically expire after a week. The recipients of the link will have to authenticate themselves through either their Apple Account or partner email address to view the location.
Apple’s AirTag is one of the best accessories for tracking items like keys, wallets, luggage, and more. However, only the original user can track a lost AirTag through Find My on their registered Apple device. This makes it cumbersome for third parties like airlines or local police to track the lost item. But, with the new feature in line, this will change and make things easier.
Apple claims that it has partnered with over 15 airlines, including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic. More airlines will be added in the coming months. These airlines will start accepting Find My Location sharing links as part of the customer process for locating lost and delayed luggage.
The company has also partnered with SITA, a leader in air transport technology. SITA will integrate support for Share Item Location in the WorldTracer. For the uninitiated, WorldTracer is a baggage-tracing system deployed by more than 500 airlines and 2,800 airports globally.
