With the release of iOS 18.2, AirTag owners can now enjoy a powerful new feature that enhances their ability to keep track of personal belongings: Share Item Location. This innovative capability allows you to share the location of your AirTag or Find My network accessory with anyone you trust, significantly easing the recovery of lost items. Whether you’re traveling and need to keep track of your luggage or simply want to share the location of a valuable item with a friend or family member, this feature is designed to provide peace of mind and convenience.
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Credit: Apple
What is Share Item Location?
Share Item Location is a new feature in the Find My app that enables you to create a secure link showing the location of your AirTag or compatible Find My network accessory. This link can be shared with trusted individuals or organizations, such as airlines, to help locate misplaced items.
Credit: Apple
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How Share Item Location works
When you share an item’s location, the recipient can view it on an interactive map through a web browser. The location updates automatically, and a timestamp shows when it was last refreshed. The shared location expires after seven days or when you’re reunited with your item, whichever comes first.
Credit: Apple
How to update your software to iOS 18.2 or later
First things first, let’s update your software to iOS 18.2 or later:
- Open Settings
- Tap General
- Select Software Update
- Tap Update Now
- Enter your passcode and agree to terms
- Wait for the installation to complete
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Steps to share your AirTag’s location
Now, let’s move on to how to share your AirTag’s location:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
- Tap Continue at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the “Items” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the AirTag or item you want to share.
- Scroll down and tap “Share Item Location.”
- Tap “Continue” to generate a link.
- You can now copy the link or use the “Share Link” option to send it via AirDrop, Messages, email, or other apps.
- Click the up arrow to send it as a text message.
- A reminder that the shared location expires after seven days.
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Privacy and security
Apple has designed this feature with privacy and safety in mind. The shared location can be disabled by the owner at any time, and it automatically expires after seven days. The item owner can also see how many people have visited the shared link. Here are steps to stop Sharing Item Location:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
- Tap the “Items” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the AirTag or item for which you want to stop Sharing Item Location.
- Scroll down and tap “Share Item Location.”
- Click “Stop Sharing Item Location.”
- Confirm your decision by clicking Continue.
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Airline integration
One of the great aspects of this feature is its potential to revolutionize luggage tracking. Over 15 major airlines, including Delta, United, Air Canada, British Airways, and Lufthansa, plan to integrate this feature into their customer service processes for locating mishandled or delayed baggage.
Note: While Apple has expanded AirTag location-sharing capabilities to include Android users as recipients, the management of AirTags still requires an iPhone or an Apple device.
Apple Air Tag
Credit: Apple
Apple Air Tags are becoming more of a necessity for many people because they will keep track of your most important possessions in life. The Apple AirTag 4 pack was $99 and is now $69 at Amazon. That’s a $30 savings. This is part of the ongoing Apple Black Friday deals, offering significant savings for a limited time.
Kurt’s key takeaways
The Share Item Location feature in iOS 18.2 is a significant upgrade for AirTag users. It addresses a common pain point for travelers and offers a secure, user-friendly solution for sharing item locations with trusted parties. As more airlines and organizations adopt this technology, we may see a future where lost luggage becomes a thing of the past.
How have you used technology to keep track of your belongings while traveling, and what challenges or successes have you experienced? Let us know in the comments below.
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