A major update is coming to Apple’s Find My app in iOS 18.2, allowing you to share lost items’ locations with others. This new feature, Share Item Location, is designed to make recovering lost belongings easier, especially when travelling. Whether it’s an AirTag, iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, you can securely share a location link with anyone, including airlines, to help track your belongings.
Helping airlines recover lost luggage
The feature has been developed with travel in mind, particularly the stressful experience of losing luggage. Over 15 major airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Qantas, Lufthansa, Air New Zealand, and United, have announced plans to accept Find My Item locations as part of their customer service process.
This means that if your bag goes missing, you can share its location with airline staff, streamlining the process of finding and returning your belongings.
Erik Snell, Delta Air Lines’ senior vice president of Airport Customer Service, spoke about the initiative, saying:
“While more than 99 per cent of checked items make it to their destination as planned, we know how stressful it can be for customers when they don’t. That’s why we’re excited to support Share Item Location beginning later this year.”
United Airlines also expressed enthusiasm, with chief customer officer David Kinzelman noting:
“We know many of our customers are already travelling with AirTag in their checked bags, and this feature will soon make it easier for them to share location information with us safely and securely, helping our customer service agents work more efficiently and giving our customers added peace of mind.”
United plans to initially introduce the service at select airports, with a broader rollout expected in early 2025.
Built with privacy and security
Apple’s Share Item Location feature prioritises privacy and security. Sharing a location link is temporary and deactivates once the item is reunited with you. You can also turn off the link manually at any time. The link automatically expires after seven days, ensuring it cannot be misused.
This feature is expected to be especially useful for travellers using AirTags to track their luggage. With airlines now supporting the technology, recovering lost bags is set to become faster and more efficient.
Public release in December
iOS 18.2, which includes this new feature, is currently available as a public beta. The full release is expected in December, before the busy holiday travel season. Apple’s latest update ensures the Find My app continues to be a valuable tool for keeping your belongings safe, whether at home or abroad.
