By Julie Clover
In iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, Apple is adding a new feature to the Find My app that lets you share the location of a lost item with a trusted person. This feature is designed to help you find an item through a third party, such as an airline customer service representative.
The Find My app includes options to “Share Item Location” and “Show Contact Info.” If you select “Share Item Location,” a link will be created that will allow someone to see the location of your lost item when they open it. Links can be opened on non-Apple devices using a web browser, so people without an iPhone, iPad, or Mac can help you find your lost item.
Find My links you share expire after a week, and you can see how many people have viewed the link. Shared links stop working when the item is returned to you, when the link expires, or when you decide to stop sharing the item's location. Share Item Location is encrypted and anonymous, so Apple and accessory makers can't see the item's location or information about it.
Tapping Show Contact Info lets any phone, computer, or tablet connect to a lost item to open a website with more information about it, including the owner’s phone number and email address. You can use this feature to provide details about a lost item or view details about a found item you want to return to its owner.
While Find My already let you share an item with someone in your contacts, the Share Item Location feature in iOS 18.2 gives you the ability to temporarily show an item’s location to someone else who can help you find it. It works with AirTags and other devices that connect to Apple’s Find My network.
So far, United Airlines and Air Canada have implemented Find My Share Item Location support for lost bags, and Apple says other airlines plan to roll out support “soon.” With direct support from airlines, airline employees will know the steps to follow to return a lost item, like luggage, to its owner using Find My.
For example, United Airlines has created an entire workflow for reporting a bag with an AirTag. If the bag doesn’t arrive, customers can file a delayed bag report, and those with an AirTag can add a Share Item Location link to the report.
United customer service agents can see the Share Item Location link and view the item’s location on an interactive map. United says its employees will use the location to more quickly locate delayed bags.
Airlines planning to roll out support for the shared item location feature for lost or mishandled bags include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling.
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