Your Android Phone Could Soon Help Airlines Find Your Lost Luggage.
Android users will soon be able to use tracking devices to coordinate lost baggage searches directly with airlines. This feature, one of many announced in the March Google Pixel Drop update, generates a Find Hub link for compatible tracking devices, which can be shared with airlines to help locate baggage lost in transit.
In late 2024, Apple introduced a similar feature for AirTags called “Share Item Location.” iOS users can temporarily share the location of their Find My accessory with their airline to help locate lost luggage. It’s important to note that AirTags (and other tracking tags, including those compatible with Find Hub on Android) are not real-time tracking devices, as they typically rely on pings from other internet-connected devices nearby to transmit their location. The “Share Item Location” feature for AirTags is currently supported by 36 airlines , including all major US carriers.
How to use the Find Hub app on Android to locate lost luggage
To use this feature, you must already have a Find Hub-compatible tracker in your baggage. Select the tracking device in the Find Hub app, tap “Share item location” to generate an encrypted link, and copy the link to paste it into your airline’s lost baggage report form in the mobile app or website.
The data sharing link automatically expires after seven days (by which time, hopefully, you’ll be able to locate your luggage), although you can stop sharing at any time. Find Hub will also disable location sharing when your Android phone detects the tracker nearby.
Currently, 10 global airlines partner with Find Hub for baggage claims:
-
Adjet
-
Air India
-
China Airlines
-
Luftansa
-
Austrian Airlines
-
Brussels Airlines
-
Swiss International Airlines
-
Saudi Arabia Airlines
-
Scandinavian Airlines
-
Turkish Airlines
No major US airlines have yet joined the project, although Google has announced plans to collaborate with other airlines, including Qantas, in the future.