How to Configure Find My Item Sharing for AirTags on iPhone in iOS 18

Apple AirTags and Find My accessories provide unmatched precision location tracking across Apple’s crowdsourced mesh network of over one billion active devices. While earlier iOS releases restricted item tracking strictly to a single Apple Account owner, modern iOS 18 enhances tracking flexibility with two powerful sharing mechanisms: persistent Item Sharing with trusted contacts and temporary Share Item Location links designed for airline baggage recovery.

Understanding Item Sharing vs Temporary Location Links

iOS 18 provides two distinct modes for sharing AirTag location data:

• Persistent Item Sharing (Up to 5 Users): Allows friends or family members to view the AirTag on their own Find My map, use Precision Finding with Ultra Wideband (UWB), and play sound alerts. Crucially, shared members never trigger unwanted tracking alerts on their personal iPhones.
• Share Item Location Links: Generates a secure, temporary web link that allows third parties (such as airline baggage handling agents) to view the live location of an item in any standard web browser without possessing an Apple Account.

Sharing an AirTag with Family or Trusted Contacts

To give family members joint access to keys, luggage, or vehicles:

1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone running iOS 18.
2. Tap the Items tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Select the AirTag or supported Find My network accessory you wish to share.
4. Scroll down to the section labeled Share This AirTag and tap Add Person.
5. Review the feature overview and tap Continue.
6. Enter the name, phone number, or Apple Account email of the contact (you can invite up to five additional individuals).
7. Tap Send in the top-right corner.

The invited contact receives a notification in their own Find My app. Once accepted, the AirTag displays in their personal Items list, enabling them to track the item in real time.

Generating Temporary Airline Tracking Links in iOS 18

If your luggage is misplaced during commercial flights, iOS 18 allows sharing real-time tracking links directly with airline customer service representatives:

1. In Find My > Items, select your luggage AirTag.
2. Scroll down and tap Share Item Location.
3. Tap Continue. Find My generates a cryptographically secured web URL.
4. Tap Copy Link or share the URL via airline customer support chat portals.
5. The recipient can open the link in any web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari) to view a live map with location updates and timestamp freshness.
6. The link automatically deactivates after 7 days or immediately once your iPhone reunites with the luggage.

Revoking Access and Removing Shared Members

To terminate sharing permissions at any time:

• Open the item in Find My, tap the shared person’s name under Share This AirTag, and select Remove. Access is revoked instantly.