Starting with iOS 17, you can share an AirTag with up to five other people. That will allow more than one person to track its location. We’ll show you everything you need to do to share an AirTag.
How to share an AirTag with another person on iPhone or iPad
Sharing an AirTag from iOS or iPadOS is quite simple
- Open Find My.
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Tap Items.
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Tap the AirTag you want to share.
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Swipe up to reveal Share This AirTag.
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Tap Add Person.
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Choose a contact.
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Tap Share.
Then the recipient needs to confirm on their iPhone:
- Open Find My.
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Tap Items.
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Tap Add under the prompt.
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Tap Add at the next prompt.
When AirTags are shared with you, you can also locate them in Find My, and you won’t get an annoying “traveling with you” notification when that AirTag is nearby.
How to stop sharing an AirTag
If you change your mind, you can always stop sharing an AirTag
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone,.
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Tap Items.
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Tap the name of the AirTag you’re sharing.
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Tap the name of the person you’re sharing it with.
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Tap Stop Sharing.
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Tap Stop Sharing to confirm.
The person you were sharing with no longer sees the AirTag’s location, but may still get tracking notifications when the AirTag is moving with them.
The benefits of AirTag sharing
Sharing an AirTag can be a valuable precautionary measure from a safety and security perspective. For instance, parents can track an AirTag on their child’s backpack to ensure their safety.
Similarly, for elderly family members who may be prone to getting lost, an AirTag on their keychain can provide peace of mind to their loved ones, knowing they can locate them if needed. In terms of convenience, sharing an AirTag can simplify day-to-day life, especially in a shared living situation.
Roommates or family members often use the same items, like a TV remote or a gaming console. Tracking these commonly misplaced items can save time and prevent disagreements about who had the item last.
Then, too, shared AirTags can be a game-changer when it comes to travel. If you’re traveling in a group and have shared luggage, an AirTag can help keep track of the luggage’s location.
Everyone in the group can access the luggage’s location, making it easier to keep track of during transit.
The problems with AirTag sharing
Now that it is physically possible to share an AirTag, it is also possible that someone in an abusive relationship could be forced to share theirs. Or to share their abuser’s AirTag, so that it can be with them all the time.
It was surmised that this was a reason Apple didn’t allow AirTag sharing when they were first released, and it’s not clear why the company has decided to add the feature now.
However, Apple was the first tracker manufacturer to include anti-stalking measures, and these have only increased since launch. Most recently, Apple has partnered with Google to make sure Android users can be alerted to rogue AirTags following them.
That doesn’t address the issue of being pressured to share an AirTag, but perhaps the controversy that Apple’s device has raised has shone a bright light on the issue.
AirTags Become Even More Useful With Sharing
Now that you can share an AirTag with a family member or friend, they can easily track the location of your item as well. That makes Apple’s handy device even better.
