Apple Find My can now share AirTag locations with airlines and third parties

Apple has launched a beta feature called Share Item Location in iOS 18.2, allowing users to share the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with third parties. This update is designed to simplify the process of locating misplaced items, particularly when traveling. Users can generate a secure link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which can then be shared. The recipient can access an interactive map that shows the item’s location and updates automatically. The shared link expires after seven days or when the item is recovered, maintaining privacy and security.

“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. “The Find My network and AirTag have proven to be a powerful combination for users while traveling, providing invaluable location information when bags have been misplaced or mishandled. 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.”

Major airlines such as Delta, United, British Airways, and Qantas are set to adopt this feature, with plans for a systemwide rollout by early 2025. “We’ve worked closely with Apple to incorporate Share Item Location into our baggage recovery process and are excited to make this feature available to our customers soon,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. “We know many of our customers are already traveling 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.”

Delta’s Erik Snell emphasized the usefulness of the tool: “While more than 99 percent 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. It will provide our team with extra visibility to reunite those items with their owners. This cutting-edge solution, developed by Apple and in partnership with Delta Air Lines, will enable us to locate items more efficiently and effectively.”

Annalisa Gigante of IAG stated, “By accepting Find My item locations, we’ll be able to offer additional peace of mind to customers who travel with AirTag in their luggage. We’re always testing innovative solutions and enhancing our systems to ensure that checked bags reach their intended destination as quickly as possible, and we look forward to incorporating this solution into our lost baggage processes beginning later this year.”

SITA, a prominent provider of air transport technology, will integrate Share Item Location into WorldTracer, its global baggage-tracing system. “As the leading industry provider for end-to-end baggage management solutions, and with global passenger traffic set to double by 2040, airports and airlines worldwide will face important challenges,” said Nicole Hogg, SITA’s director of Baggage. “This collaboration with Apple will make it easy for airlines that use our industry-leading WorldTracer solution to implement Share Item Location for more efficient baggage management, and will be a huge benefit for passengers. We look forward to seeing this feature adopted across the industry to complement existing tracking tools.”

This feature is built on the Find My network, which uses Bluetooth technology from over one billion Apple devices to locate missing items. The entire process is anonymous and end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that not even Apple or accessory manufacturers can access user data. iOS 18.2 is now available as a public beta and will be released as a free update for iPhone Xs and newer models.