Featured Image Credit: Apple
Apple will be introducing a new feature to its Find My app that will help users find their luggage easier.
With the iOS 18.2 update, iPhone users can temporarily share the location of a lost AirTag with an airline or a 'trusted person,' according to MacRumors.
The new Share Item Location lets you create a link to your AirTag's location.
Whoever you send the link to can see the location of the AirTagged item, making it easier for airport staff to locate a missing piece of luggage if Find My indicates it’s nearby.
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What's more, is that this feature also works on non-Apple devices.
The link can be sent to Android or Google phones and will open a web page with a map showing the item’s last known location.
One impressed X user posted the update: "Huge update to Find My in iOS 18.2 beta 2," alongside screenshots of what Share Item Location looks like.
Huge update to Find My in iOS 18.2 beta 2
— Aaron (@aaronp613) November 4, 2024
Get help finding a lost item by sharing its location with an airline or trusted person. They will be able to see the location of your item on a map. pic.twitter.com/lHckNRfZbj
It reads: "Get help finding your lost AirTag by sharing its location with an airline or trusted person.
"The person who opens the link will be able to see the location of your AirTag for a limited time."
The link automatically expires after a week or as soon as your item is returned to you.
You’ll also be able to see how many people have checked the link.
Furthermore, there's an additional 'Show Contact Info' option that lets you share your phone number and email so that the person who finds your missing item can contact you.
This new feature builds on an option Apple introduced in September 2023, where you can share your AirTag’s location with up to five people, like family members.
With the tech giant allowing families to keep track of shared items like pets, it makes it all the easier to track something down. Some members can be added to the AirTag's location temporarily too so you don't need to remember to remove them later.
Whether you think this upgrade is good or bad, remember that it's still testing in beta mode. The public beta test is expected to land in the coming weeks so Apple fans can try it out for themselves.
And the full public release for iOS 18.2 is expected to land in December. When it’s out, you’ll find it under Settings > General > Software Update.
Reactions so far to the feature have been mixed.
"A great addition. The possibilities are endless with this," one user commented.
Others weren't so impressed: "So after three years these were launched ? How is this “huge”."
"This assumes airlines care at all," added another.
