AirTag Owners Bemoan Inability to Let Others Track Their Items Via Family Sharing

[MacRumors]

Apple's new AirTag item trackers have been making their way into the hands of customers since Friday, and while the company has tried to describe the ways that they can be used to find lost items, many users are still surprised and disappointed to learn that the location of an AirTag can't be shared with other family members.

On the face of it, sharing the location of an AirTag via Apple's Family Sharing feature should be a no-brainer, since individual members in a Family Sharing group can use the Find My app to see the location of other family members' Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, AirPods, and Apple Watches.

Given those Family Sharing privileges, many users have understandably assumed that an AirTag attached to an item that's regularly used by more than one person in the household (a set of keys, for example) could be tracked by multiple family members within Find My.

Unfortunately, however, AirTags don't work like other Apple devices in Find My, and several users have taken to the MacRumors forums, Reddit, and Apple's community support site to share their displeasure after learning about the Family Sharing limitation:

Apple Communities user Amadeus4000:

I received my first two AirTags today. One for each of our dogs. I was disappointed to see I couldn't share them with my wife. That would have made a lot of sense.

Apple Communities user MikeyPD:

It is extremely disappointing that there is not currently an option to share AirTags with family members. This is a very convenient feature that Tile (as well as other trackers) offers. I suppose I should have looked into this before ordering them. I suppose it just seemed like such a no-brainer feature that I didn't even think to checking.

I hope this is functionality they add soon. If Tile could figure out how to do it I am sure Apple can. This is kind of a bummer.

MacRumors forum member Mr X:

Surprised that Apple didn't include a share option at least with official family share members. Tile used to allow me to share "items."

For example, me and the wife both have our own cars, but we swap at random. She's always losing hers in the house and now I won't be able to find them, only she can. Hope they add this feature.

MacRumors forum member Leebroath:

1. Husband opens brand new Air Tags and registers one to his phone
2. Places one in the Belkin holder, then connects to only set of car keys
3. 8am Wife picks up car keys in morning, drives to work, husband goes to bed as on nightshift
4. 4pm Wife finishes work but can't remember where car keys are, confused she looks into Find My…
5. *Fail*

If a husband and wife are on the same iCloud Family Sharing plan, then it should be possible for each person to see the AirTag regardless of whose phone it is.

As Apple has explained, the only AirTag privilege afforded to people in an iCloud Family Sharing group is that they can silence the "AirTag Detected" safety alert that appears when an AirTag is traveling with them that is registered to someone else. (Likewise, the owner of the AirTag can disable the safety alerts to prevent someone else's iPhone from detecting it as unwanted tracking.)

But that's as far as the Family Sharing functionality goes. AirTags are only meant to be owned by one person, and it's not currently possible to share an AirTag's location with another family member using another Apple ID. It's likely that Apple has omitted this feature due to privacy concerns, so whether or not it intends to introduce it in the future via some other form of implementation remains to be seen.

Article Link: AirTag Owners Bemoan Inability to Let Others Track Their Items Via Family Sharing

 

[joecomo]

that is a pity - hope they'll add that soon

 

[seinman]

The "privacy concerns" are BS. You can share your phone's location (which, 99% of the time, is your personal location) with ANYONE, not just people in your family, through Find My Friends. But you can't even share an AirTag's location through family sharing? Come on now.

 

[elvislives]

I am sure this will come as an update....

 

[dragje]

This is something Apple could easily fix in a future update. But on the other hand, despite the inconvenient that occur in some cases it's also worth mentioning that this is also a good thing, knowing AirTags can't be easily be shared with others which provides more security of the person that actually bought these things.

 

[contacos]

I am one of those idiots that bought 5 of these in the heat of the pre order moment and now I can’t use either of them really cuz the damn affordable keychain Accessoire isn’t available until the end of June! 😅

 

[Sciomar]

AirTag Apple Owners Bemoan Inability to Let Others Track Their Items Via Family Sharing

That's a better title, that's the trend.

 

[ScooterComputer]

This is because iCloud was/is fundamentally designed brokenly. Instead of it being designed from the outset around a group paradigm (multi-user), it was designed for an individual. Huge mistake. Now, everything has to be "bolted on", which causes significant security, usability, and functionality problems.

You'd think, given that Apple has been developing operating systems since the late '80s towards the multi-user paradigm (with the basis for that paradigm existing well prior), that they'd not be stupid enough to continue making this mistake. You'd think that the security mess that was/is Windows would have been a guiding (warning) light.

Yet… here we are.

 

[sixthdimension]

On the face of it, sharing the location of an AirTag via Apple's Family Sharing feature should be a no-brainer, since individual members in a Family Sharing group can use the Find My app to see the location of other family members' Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, HomePods, and Apple Watches.

I’m not sure you can see the location of an Apple TV or HomePod in Find My.

 

[no_idea]

AirTag Apple Owners Bemoan Inability to Let Others Track Their Items Via Family Sharing

That's a better title, that's the trend.

I was thinking the same thing. What a bunch of inept whining babies. You were doing just fine 3 weeks ago before this product was even announced.

 

[coredev]

As Apple has explained, the only AirTag privilege afforded to people in an iCloud Family Sharing group is that they can silence the "AirTag Detected" safety alert that appears when an AirTag is traveling with them that is registered to someone else. (Likewise, the owner of the AirTag can disable the safety alerts to prevent someone else's iPhone from detecting it as unwanted tracking.)

What the ****? Is this correctly described?

 

[Putzytart]

Was about to buy a pack of four - very glad I read this article before hand. All four were for shared assets like car keys etc. Kinda pointless if only one person can see the location for what I was going to buy them for. I will wait till they add that feature.

 

[Lasermoon]

Two AirTags per one set of keys, that way you can both track them🤪

 

[e.clinton]

If you'd like multiple people to track the same item, just attach multiple AirTags 😂

 

[Kissmo1980]

If you'd like multiple people to track the same item, just attach multiple AirTags 😂

😂might be cheaper to change the locker

 

[coredev]

You'd think, given that Apple has been developing operating systems since the late '80s towards the multi-user paradigm (with the basis for that paradigm existing well prior), that they'd not be stupid enough to continue making this mistake. You'd think that the security mess that was/is Windows would have been a guiding (warning) light.

To be fair, Apple's stance on devices was mostly a personal one.
My Mac, my iPhone, my Apple Watch.
macOS only got the good multi user support from it's unix heritage, just look at a freshly installed Mac. It's "Jane Doe's Mac". Still very personal.
And there is no multi user paradigm on iOS and it's descendants at all, at least on on the UX level.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I was thinking the same thing. What a bunch of inept whining babies. You were doing just fine 3 weeks ago before this product was even announced.

I agree. Then again, this is MR and what you are seeing is pretty much standard fare on here.

 

[Sciomar]

I'm sure now that they're out in the public for beta testing, that multi-user support will come with a software change soon enough. It'll probably happen before most get their tag accessory holder.

 

[alexandr]

we kind of knew this though, didn't we? and i'm sure they will add this later on.

 

[pdaholic]

Not a problem for me. Airtag in my wallet, and I definitely don’t need my wife to know where my wallet is!

 

[Benjamin Nabulsi]

First-world problems.
Get your old ipad and create an apple ID for family stuff and use it for everything family sharing.

 

[Graham Caracas]

This feature will be included on the soon to be released AirTags Pro. Then you will eagerly buy them again.

 

[Schranke]

I’m not sure you can see the location of an Apple TV or HomePod in Find My.

Hopefully one already know where they are

 

[Schranke]

This feature will be included on the soon to be released AirTags Pro. Then you will eagerly buy them again.

there will of course be a small design change so the current accessory won't fit

 

[MrCrowbar]

Put my AirTag in my significant other's jacket (with consent) last Sunday. We're not living together and she's been out running errands a couple times. She hasn't gotten the "you're being tracked" notification yet after 2 days. Even though I can sometimes see the AirTag at different locations during her errands and evening walks.