Apple users may soon be able to share the location of air tags with a third party for up to a week, allowing people to provide airlines or airports with the location of their luggage if desired. The feature has appeared in beta versions of the new iOS operating system and is expected to roll out in the future.
Helping locate lost luggage
The newest feature was first reported by MacRumors as appearing in the iOs 18.2 beta 2, which was released for developers earlier today. The operating system introduced the option to share the location of your AirTags or other items in Apple’s Find My network with contacts last year, but the feature has now been expanded to create a shareable link to your lost item’s location.
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This can be especially helpful for travelers who are separated from their luggage, and they will soon be able to share the location with airline or airport staff to help locate lost items. According to Apple, the feature is ideal for lost luggage, with the sharing prompt mentioning airlines specifically.
“Get help finding your lost item by sharing its location with an airline or a trusted person. The person who opens the link will be able to see the location of your item for a limited time.”
Photo: Apple
The feature even appears to work for third-party tracking tags that use the Apple Find My network in addition to the official Apple tags.
How does it work?
The new feature can be found in the Find My app for Apple devices. According to screenshots from MacRumors, which is currently testing the developer beta, information about the new feature comes up when you open the app. Users are now presented with a screen that reads “What’s New In Find My,” which explains the process. The new “Share Item Location” creates a unique link that allows the recipient to view the location of the lost item. This link can then be shared directly with the airline staff to help them locate the missing items.
Photo:Â Hhxdbzxy | Shutterstock
The link can also be on computers and Android phones, so travelers can enlist the help of non-Apple users to locate missing items. The links expire after one week, so people cannot continue to track your items in the long term. They also expire when the item is returned safely. A further privacy feature allows the owners to see who opened and accessed the link and potentially gains access to your item or contact information.
Users can also choose to share their contact information with people who locate the tag in real life, allowing airport staff or anyone who might come across a missing item to reach the correct owner. AirTags have become an increasingly popular way for travelers to track their luggage and have led to quite a few interesting aviation stories, including one AirTag that has flown to 37 different cities and another that helped catch a luggage thief.
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What Do You Think Of Tracking Baggage With Personal Trackers Such As Apple’s AirTags?
More and more travelers are placing tracking devices into their baggage following negative press about lost and delayed luggage over the past few years. Personally, I always travel with an AirTag in all of my bags. On my most recent trip to Frankfurt, having my AirTag meant that I knew it was in Frankfurt and was able to collect it when Lufthansa hadn’t even located it. I’ll write a story to go into more depth soon… In the meantime we want to know what you think about passengers travelling with AirTags and equivalent trackers. Let us know your thoughts below! (Photo: ErickPHOTOPRO | Shutterstock.com)