Apple’s free Find My update means you’ll never lose your luggage again

I've been using Apple's Find My network for a good few years now, and have lost track of the times it's prevented me from leaving things behind – my purse, car keys, even my guitar pedals.

It's been even more useful with my kids' devices, which are constantly being misplaced or left behind. But, there's one key issue that makes Find My less useful than it could be.

The function to find supported products is only available to you, and there are times when that's not ideal. So I'm pleased to see that Apple is massively improving Find My in the latest iOS beta.

What's different is that you can now share the location of your lost item. So if it's lost luggage you can share the location with the airline or airport; if it's a lost iPhone you can share the location with the friend, family member or colleague who'll go and get it. And if it's been stolen you can share the location with the police.

How to access the new Find My feature

For now, the feature is only available in the developer beta of iOS 18.2.

I've found the betas to be pretty solid on my iPhone 16 but there's always a risk with beta software, so it's important to be aware of that. And developer betas are not designed for the general public. If you'd rather wait for the final release, it's scheduled as an over-the-air update in December.

Whether you go for the beta now or the update next month, the feature enables you to create a shareable link to your item's location, whether that's a missing Mac, an iPhone or something with an AirTag on it.

That link can then be opened on any device, and will expire as soon as the device or tagged item has been returned to you, or after a week if it's still missing.

I think this is really useful – there are often times when I've been nowhere near the location of a lost item and have had to ask somebody else to retrieve it. So being able to share the exact location is a lot more convenient. And let's face it. It's a lot easier than persuading your kids to look after their stuff.