iOS 18.2 adding new Find My feature to share an AirTag location with others via a link — and soon, with airlines

Apple has announced that with iOS 18.2, expected to release in early December, Find My will gain the ability for users to share the location of an AirTag or compatible third-party Find My network accessories via a link, which will allow both the user and recipient to see the location of the item on an interactive map.

The new feature, called Share Item Location, will show an item’s location on a webpage which will automatically update when a new location is available and will show a timestamp of the most recent update, making it easier for the owner of an AirTag to track down their lost belongings with the help of others.

Expanding on the new feature, Apple says that over the coming months, more than 15 airlines — including 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 — will begin accepting Find My item locations as part of their customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed bags, with more airlines to be added over time.

In a post on the Apple Newsroom, the iPhone maker says it has worked directly with partner airlines to put systems in place to allow them to track AirTags belonging to owners of lost luggage. Access to each link will be limited to a small number of people, and recipients will be required to authenticate in order to view the link through either their Apple Account or partner email address.

Apple’s Find My network is a crowdsourced network of over one billion Apple devices that use Bluetooth to detect missing devices or items nearby, and report their approximate location back to the owner. The entire process is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, so no one else, not even Apple or Find My Network accessory manufacturers, can view a device’s location or information.