Apple Announces iOS Location Sharing Feature; will be available with iOS 18.2

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Apple recently released iOS 18.2 developer beta 2, which reportedly included a new feature that allowed users to share the location of lost or misplaced items with third parties such as airlines. The Cupertino-based tech giant has confirmed the arrival of this feature, which is called Share Item Location. It is said to have been rolled out in most regions of the world with the iOS 18.2 public beta update and will be available to all users after the public release of iOS 18.2.

Share item location in iOS 18.2 Public Beta 1

In an editorial, Apple announced that the new Share Item Location feature uses its Find My network to help users locate and recover lost or misplaced items. It uses Bluetooth to track lost devices and notify the owner of their location. Apple says its new feature also works with the Apple AirTag and other compatible Find My accessories.

Users can create a Share Location link for an item marked as lost in Find Me on their iPhone, iPad or Mac, which can then be shared with a trusted person or airline employee. It redirects to a website with an interactive map that can be accessed on any platform, not just an Apple device. The iPhone maker says the website will automatically update when a new location is available and display the timestamp of the last update.

To protect user privacy, Apple has also imposed some restrictions on the new feature. To begin, recipients will need to verify their identity with an Apple account or partner email address to view the link. In addition, access to it will be limited to a small number of people.

To make it work, Apple says it’s working with more than 15 airlines around the world, which will roll out support over the coming months. This includes Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, which will accept information about the location of lost items as part of the customer service process. In addition, SITA, the aviation technology company, will also develop support for the Share Item Location feature in WorldTracer, a baggage tracking system that is said to be used by more than 500 airlines and ground operators at more than 2,800 airports worldwide.

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