How to Share Find My Item Locations with Third Parties

Have you ever lost your AirTag or an item with a Find My accessory? Apple’s latest feature makes getting it back easier than ever. The new Share Item Location feature, part of iOS 18.2, lets users share the location of lost items with airlines and other third parties. This secure sharing system helps recover misplaced items faster by allowing trusted organizations to see exactly where your lost belongings are located, all while maintaining your privacy.

The feature works with AirTags and other Find My network accessories. When you lose something important during travel or in a public place, you no longer need to describe the item’s location to staff. Instead, you can directly share its precise position through the Find My app, making recovery more efficient and accurate.

How to Share Find My Item Locations with Third Parties

Apple’s Find My app has become one of the most reliable tools for tracking your devices and personal items, especially with the rise in popularity of AirTags and Find My-compatible accessories. But what happens when you’re not the one trying to recover your lost item—like when your suitcase goes missing during a flight? That’s where Apple’s new “Share Item Location” feature comes in, offering a simple yet secure way to share the real-time location of your AirTagged belongings with third parties, such as airline baggage departments or friends helping you recover lost items.

What Is “Share Item Location” and Why It Matters

The “Share Item Location” feature, introduced in a recent update to the Find My app, allows you to generate a temporary, trackable link to the real-time location of a specific item. This link can then be sent to anyone, even if they don’t use an Apple device. It’s designed specifically for scenarios where the item’s owner is unable to retrieve it themselves, like when luggage gets misplaced by an airline or your backpack is lost in a rideshare vehicle.

This feature fills a critical gap in the Find My ecosystem. Previously, only the owner of the item could track its whereabouts. Now, others can be temporarily looped in to help, making recovery faster and more convenient.

Step-by-Step: How to Share an Item’s Location

Here’s how to use the new feature from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac:

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Tap on the Items tab.
3. Select the AirTag or Find My-compatible item you want to share.
4. Tap Share This Item (or Share Item Location).
5. Follow the prompts to generate a unique tracking link.
6. Send the link via text, email, or another messaging app to the intended recipient.

The recipient will be able to click the link and see your item’s location on a map, including a history of pings with timestamps showing when and where it was last detected by the Find My network.

Who Can Use the Shared Location?

Anyone with the link can access the tracking page—even if they don’t have an Apple ID or Apple device. This makes it ideal for sharing with airport baggage handlers, rideshare drivers, hotel staff, or anyone else who may be helping you recover your lost item.

Some major airlines have already begun integrating this feature into their customer service processes. If you file a lost luggage report, many now allow you to include your shared AirTag link so their staff can track down your suitcase faster and more accurately.

Built-In Privacy and Security Features

Apple has implemented strong privacy protections to ensure that sharing location data doesn’t compromise your security:

• Time-limited access: Shared links automatically expire after 7 days.
• Manual control: You can stop sharing at any time from within the Find My app.
• Smart deactivation: Once you’re reunited with your item, location sharing ends automatically.

Also, the person viewing the location cannot modify the item, rename it, or take control in any way. The link only grants read-only access to the location, not ownership or any administrative capabilities.

Use Cases Beyond Travel

While travelers are the primary beneficiaries—especially those who check bags with AirTags—there are plenty of other situations where this feature shines:

• Shipping valuable items to friends or family and letting them monitor the progress.
• Lending gear to a friend and sharing its location in case it’s misplaced.
• Pet sitters or dog walkers using an AirTag on a pet’s collar for peace of mind.

Essentially, anytime someone else is in charge of transporting or retrieving your belongings, this feature adds an extra layer of visibility and accountability.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

There are a few important caveats:

• Only the item’s owner can initiate sharing. If someone else added the AirTag to their account, you won’t be able to generate a link.
• This feature is only available for items with Find My network support, like AirTags or select third-party accessories—not for iPhones or iPads.
• The recipient can’t ring the AirTag or get directions like the owner can—they’re only able to view its location.

The Future of Shared Tracking

Apple’s approach is both thoughtful and restrained. By offering a limited-time, non-invasive way to share item locations, it avoids the pitfalls of over-sharing or permanent access that could lead to abuse. The feature is especially useful as the ecosystem of Find My-enabled products continues to grow and more people depend on Apple’s tracking network to keep tabs on everything from luggage and keys to bikes and pets.

It’s another step in turning Find My into not just a personal safety net, but a collaborative tool that helps the people around you help you faster. If you’ve ever been separated from your belongings and wished someone else could track them for you—this is the feature you’ve been waiting for.

Key Takeaways

• Share Item Location allows users to securely share AirTag positions with airlines and other third parties for faster recovery of lost items.
• The feature is available in the iOS 18.2 update and works with all AirTags and Find My network accessories.
• Users maintain privacy control while getting help from organizations to locate and retrieve their misplaced belongings.

Setting Up Find My for Sharing Locations

The Find My app allows users to share the locations of their items with trusted contacts or through secure links. This feature helps others locate lost items and provides peace of mind when lending belongings.

Enabling Find My on Apple Devices

To begin sharing item locations, users must first enable the Find My app on their Apple devices. This requires an Apple ID and the latest iOS software update, which is free for all compatible devices including iPhone X and newer models.

Users can turn on Find My by:

1. Opening Settings on their device
2. Tapping their name at the top
3. Selecting Find My
4. Toggling on Find My iPhone
5. Enabling Share My Location

For maximum effectiveness, users should also turn on Find My network which helps locate offline devices through nearby Apple devices. This creates a secure mesh network without compromising privacy.

Location Services must be enabled for Find My to work properly. Users can check this in Settings > Privacy > Location Services.

Utilizing Share Item Location Feature

The Share Item Location feature lets users create temporary access to an item’s whereabouts. To share an AirTag or other Find My-compatible item:

1. Open the Find My app
2. Tap the Items tab
3. Select the specific item to share
4. Tap Share
5. Choose how to send the Share Item Location link

Recipients receive a secure link that opens an interactive map showing the item’s position. This link can be set to expire after one hour, at the end of the day, or remain active indefinitely.

Privacy and security remain paramount with this feature. The person receiving the link can only see the shared item’s location—not the user’s personal location or other devices. Users can stop sharing at any time by returning to Find My and selecting “Stop Sharing.”

Collaboration with Third Parties and Airlines

Apple’s Share Item Location feature creates new ways for users to find lost items by working with airlines and other companies. This tool helps travelers keep track of checked bags and other valuables through secure location sharing.

Integrating with Airline Baggage Systems

The Share Item Location feature now allows users to share AirTag locations with airlines, making baggage recovery easier. Major carriers like Delta Air Lines, British Airways, and Qantas are working to integrate this system with their existing baggage-tracing systems.

When a bag goes missing, passengers can provide temporary access to their AirTag‘s location data. This helps customer service representatives pinpoint the exact location of lost baggage without compromising long-term privacy.

The system works with Worldtracer, the global baggage management platform used by most airlines. This integration speeds up the recovery process significantly compared to traditional methods.

Users can set time limits for sharing location data, ensuring airlines only have access when needed. Once the bag is found, access automatically expires.

Sharing with Find My Network Accessories

Beyond airlines, iOS 18.2 enables sharing location data with other third parties for various Find My network accessories. This feature works with items like bikes, headphones, and other Bluetooth-enabled devices.

To share an item’s location:

1. Open the Find My app
2. Select the Items tab
3. Choose your AirTag or accessory
4. Tap the “Share Item Location” button
5. Set a time limit for sharing

The system generates a secure link or QR code that provides temporary access to real-time location information. This helps in situations where multiple people need to coordinate finding a lost item.

Security remains a priority, with all shared location data being encrypted. Users maintain control over who can see their item’s location and for how long, reducing privacy concerns.