What if you wanted to let your spouse or children see where your keys, bags, or pet’s AirTag is? Maybe you want your partner to be able to find the family car in a crowded parking lot. However, you can’t directly share an AirTag’s location as only the owner can track it. That said, there are workarounds to share its live location with family. This article will walk you through the process of using tools like Find My and setting up sharing with family.
What you need before sharing an Airtag location
Before you begin, make sure everything is set up correctly. Remember that your AirTag is linked to your Apple ID, and you can’t transfer ownership of it. Also, AirTags can only be shared with five other people, making a total of six accesses. Instead, the goal would be to share its location data from your Find My network. So the prerequisites include the following:
- Up-to-date device: Your iPhone must be running iOS 14.5 or later, or your iPad must be running iPadOS 14.5 or later.
- 2-factor setup: You and every family member should have two-factor authentication turned on for your Apple IDs and iCloud keychain enabled. Also, you can’t share an AirTag location with a child account.
- Phonebook: Check that you have each other’s contacts stored with the correct Apple ID email addresses saved. Also, AirTags can only be shared with users with individual Apple IDs.
- Internet: Ensure you all have a stable internet or Wi-Fi connection.
- Location access: Ensure you’ve set location sharing and device finding on your iPhone to update automatically.
Now let’s talk about how you can share your AirTag with family. The entire process, however, depends on your device settings.
on iPhone/iPad
The easiest method happens if you’ve already set up an iCloud Family group. Hence, when you add someone to your Family sharing group, they automatically get the option to see items in the Find My app. That said, to share the specific AirTag:
- Go to the “Find My app”
- Next, pick the “Items” tab at the bottom.
- Choose the AirTag you wish to share.
- Under “Share This Item”, click “Add Person.”
- Now pick the contact you’d like to share with the AirTag. It’s best to enter their Apple ID.
- Next, tap the name of the person and hit the “Share” button in the top right corner.
- This sends an invitation and the recipient will receive a notification and can accept or decline.
in iOS17
Apple introduced a more direct sharing feature in iOS 17. Now you can share an item’s location with anyone, even if they’re not in your Family Sharing group.
- Open the “Find My” app
- Next, pick the “Items” tab at the bottom.
- Choose the AirTag you wish to share.
- Under “Share This Item”, click “Share With People.”
- Select a contact or enter their Apple ID email address.
- This sends an invitation via Messages.
- The recipient will receive a notification and can accept or decline.
How to stop Airtag location sharing
Like you can share your AirTag location, you can also stop sharing it. You’ll also love that the person you were previously sharing with, won’t see it anymore. Follow these easy steps to do so:
- Go to the “Find My” app and then click on the items tab.
- Pick the item you’re sharing and then tap the name of the person you’re sharing it with.
- Click “Delete” and when the confirmation pops up, confirm again.
Common issues with Airtag sharing and fixes
Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. Here’s a quick guide to common problems you might face when you share your AirTag location and how to solve them.
| Issues | Fixes |
| The “Share This item” option is missing | Your device might not be up to date. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. |
| Family can’t see the “AirTag” | They should check that they accepted the invitation by going to the “ITems” tab and not the “Devices” tab. Also, verify that you both have a strong internet connection. |
| Can’t invite a specific person | Confirm that you’ve stored each other’s contact information with the correct Apple ID email address. Also, you both must have 2FA enabled on your Apple IDs. |
| Location is not updating. | AirTag might be out of range of any Apple devices. Move it to a new location. Also, make sure your iPhone has its Bluetooth and Location service turned on. |
| No location updates for shared users | Settings might not be configured correctly. Open the Find My app, and go through the process of sharing the AirTag location tracking. Also check that Location Services is turned on. |
| Sharing stopped working | Restart your iPhone and the family member’s iPhone. Then check your sharing settings again. |
| Notification not working | Shared users aren’t getting separation alerts. Check the notifications setting in the Find My app under specific AirTag options. You must enable Notify When Left Behind manually. |
FAQ
Can two people see the location of an AirTag?
Yes, two people can see an AirTag’s location by following the method we’ve outlined. Every person should be able to see the AirTag’s location in their Find My app.
Puis-je share AirTag location with Android devices?
Not directly through Apple’s Find My network. An Android phone can’t natively track an AirTag. Still, there’s a workaround where the AirTag’s owner with their iPhone can share their live location via a cross-platform app like Google Maps or Life360.
Can my husband and I both track the same AirTag?
Absolutely, if the AirTag’s registered to your Apple ID, you can share the AirTag location with your husband. He should see its live location within his Find My app. Therefore, it’s a suitable way to track shared items like the house key or a car.
Conclusion
When you share Airtag with family, you bring them into the loop for better organization and productivity. Here we’ve talked about all the best ways to share AirTag locations whether you’re using Family sharing or direct sharing in iOS 17. Ultimately, you can give your loved ones access to what matters for greater peace of mind.
