APPLE is testing a new iPhone feature to help you avoid losing luggage at an airport ever again.
It’s part of an upcoming update to the iPhone that is likely just weeks away.
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Right now, you can track items you own – like airport luggage or a handbag – with an Apple AirTag.
It’s a little tracker tag that attaches to belongings, allowing you to see the location inside the iPhone’s Find My app.
Now in the beta-test version of the upcoming iOS 18.2 update, there’s a new feature that lets you share the location of an AirTag, as spotted by MacRumors.
That means you’ll be able to share your lost item’s location with a person you trust.
So you could share it with an airline so that they can help you to track down your lost luggage.
Losing luggage at an airport can be extremely annoying, inconvenient, and even costly.
It can even ruin your holiday or work trip – and potentially even cause weeks of annoyance.
With the update, you’d open the Find My app and tap on the tracked item.
Then you’d choose the new Share Item Location option, which creates a link that you can send to someone.
If the person has an Apple device, the link will open up the Find My app and they can track your item’s location.
And for other devices – like Android phones – the link will go to a website showing the location on a map.
You don’t need to worry about being tracked forever, either.
The link itself currently expires after a week – and you can end sharing once you have the item again.
You’ll also be able to show your contact info via the link so the people who find the luggage can get back to you.
WHAT IS AN APPLE AIRTAG?
Here’s what you need to know…
Apple AirTags are small discs that can be attached to belongings, allowing you to track their location.
For instance, you could put one on a keyring, tag one to your luggage, or drop one inside a handbag.
Then you can track the location of the tag inside the Find My app, which is available on Apple gadgets like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
You can also let your friends or family track the locations of those items too.
An Apple AirTag typically costs around £29 / $29.
And you can buy attachments for connecting them to your belongings.
They also have built-in speakers so that you can play a sound on them – helping you find them deep inside a bag, for instance.
And some iPhone models support Precision Finding, which will use an arrow to direct you specifically to where the tag is – with a distance marker to show how close you are.
So how does the location tracking work?
Apple explains: “When youʼve left something far behind, like at the beach or the gym, the Find My network — hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world — helps track down your AirTag. And itʼs designed to protect your privacy every step of the way.
“Your AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network.
“These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud — then you can go to the Find My app and see it on a map.
“The whole process is anonymous and encrypted to protect your privacy. And itʼs efficient, so thereʼs no need to worry about battery life or data usage.”
AirTags also have a Lost Mode, meaning you’ll receive a notification when they’re detected.
And you can see how many people have visited your sharing link too.
It’s worth noting that it’s already possible to share AirTag locations with trusted contacts.
But this now lets you share an item’s location with effectively anyone.
So when will you be able to use this new feature?
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Well it’s part of the beta version of iOS 18.2, which means it’s still in testing.
Developers can currently try it out, with a public beta test (join that here) expected in the next few weeks.
The full public release for iOS 18.2 is expected to land in December – you’ll find it under Settings > General > Software Update once it’s out.
Just note that not all iPhone models can upgrade to iOS 18, so very old handsets will miss out.
iOS 18 devices – can your iPhone get it?
Here are the devices that can get the new iOS 18 update
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
It’s also worth noting that the feature could change significantly before it’s released to the public.
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