Apple is said to be working on a groundbreaking feature for its Find My app, allowing it to share the location of lost or misplaced items, such as an iPhone or any belongings attached with an AirTag, with someone outside one's contacts.

This can be very useful in recovering misplaced devices by sharing location links with cab drivers, airline employees, or even kind strangers.

How the New 'Share Item Location' Feature Works

New Find My Feature For Easy Tracking of Lost Object

The new feature, which has been discovered by MacRumors inside the iOS 18.2 developer beta, carries a "Share Item Location" option. This takes you through to a shareable link to the current location of that item. Most importantly, any person holding that link opens it on any device including non-Apple gadgets to help find that item.

The shared link is constructed with privacy, as it automatically expires after a week or after the item is returned to its owner. This expiry system helps prevent long-term tracking so the feature is not too intrusive or risky for the owner or recipient.

The feature on iOS 18.2 is "Share Contact Info." With this option, any individual finding the item will immediately connect to the owner through their displayed contact information.

If in any case, users add a contact number or email address to the contact page of an item. The data is going to appear on the website accessible through the link shared. It is an easy way by which good Samaritans can reach the owner directly to be reunited quickly with the lost item.

Expanding Find My Capabilities Beyond Contacts

Until now, Find My has only allowed users to share an item's location with people in their contacts. This kind of limited sharing usually made it very challenging to involve helpful third parties, such as transportation or lost-and-found personnel.

With this expansion of the sharing option, Apple is improving the flexibility of the Find My app, making it much more effective in all real-life recovery scenarios.

Better Analytics: Monitor Link Visits

Another relatively quiet but important feature that the iOS 18.2 beta adds is the ability for users to see who has clicked the link shared with them. This little but subtle insight lets users know how much activity is going on in the search, providing some relief to those who hope that their lost item will be recovered sooner.

Apple Innovation in Lost Item Recovery

New Find My updates emphasize Apple's commitment to making device recovery more practical and user-friendly. Now, with the ability to share locations using links and gain access to the contact information of non-contacts, Apple further opens up who can help in recovering lost items. This feature might prove very useful for frequent travelers and commuters who might accidentally leave objects inside a vehicle, hotel room, or public place.

These updates make Find My more than just a location service, but a dynamic tool for real-world applications that empower users to retrieve items hassle-free.

Until then, what upcoming surprising features will iOS 18.2 bring to us? Will it be another Find My feature? Only the iPhone maker could tell.