Google has introduced a new feature that allows Android users to share the live location of lost luggage directly with airlines, including Air India, through its Find Hub network.

The update adds a “share item location” option inside the Find Hub app. If a suitcase equipped with a compatible tracking tag goes missing, users can generate a secure link showing its real-time location and send it to a participating airline as part of a baggage claim.

The feature is rolling out globally and is aimed at helping airline recovery teams locate misplaced baggage more accurately.

Instead of describing where luggage might be, travellers can send airline staff a live map showing its exact location.

How the feature works

Within the Find Hub app, users can select the misplaced item and tap “share item location.” The app then generates a unique, encrypted URL.

This link can be pasted into an airline’s website or mobile app while filing a baggage claim. Once shared, airline recovery teams receive continuously updating location data that can help determine whether the bag is at another terminal, in a storage facility, or routed to a different airport.

Users remain in control of the sharing process. Location sharing can be stopped at any time, while links automatically expire after seven days. Sharing is also disabled once the device detects that the item has returned to its owner.

Google said all device location data shared through the feature is end-to-end encrypted.

Airlines accepting Find Hub location links

More than 10 airlines have already integrated support for Find Hub location links in their baggage recovery workflows.

These include Air India, AJet, China Airlines, Saudia Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Turkish Airlines. The Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss International Airlines, is also part of the rollout.

For Indian Android users, Air India’s participation means the feature can be used on common international routes departing from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Google said additional airlines, including Qantas, are expected to join later.

Integration with airline baggage systems

To enable the feature within airline infrastructure, Google has partnered with SITA and Reunitus to integrate Find Hub location links with WorldTracer and NetTracer, two widely used baggage-tracing platforms in the aviation industry.

These systems support hundreds of airlines and thousands of airports globally, allowing the new tracking capability to work within baggage systems already used by airlines.

Separately, Google is collaborating with Samsonite to embed Find Hub compatibility directly into select suitcase models. Compatible Samsonite luggage will be able to connect to the network without requiring separate tracking tags.

Part of a broader Android update

The luggage tracking capability is launching alongside other ecosystem updates, including location sharing within Google Messages and the expansion of Find Hub to Pixel Watches.

Together, the updates reflect Google’s broader push to position Android devices as connected travel tools.

While the feature does not prevent baggage from being lost, it could help passengers provide location proof and assist airlines in locating misplaced luggage more quickly.

First Published on March 5, 2026, 15:03:27 IST