Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has pressed Apple through an EU interoperability request for the ability to pair Meta devices with iPhones and iPads in a way similar to AirPods—so that once a user pairs a Meta accessory on one device, it automatically becomes available and paired on other Apple devices tied to the same user. Apple’s response indicates it is building an AirPods-like capability for third-party accessories, including Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Quest headsets, using new Apple pairing APIs and supporting technologies. According to Apple’s EU request materials, Apple plans to let approved accessories use cryptographic materials so pairing completed on one Apple device can be used on other Apple devices without repeated prompts, with session key and one-time, per-accessory user consent. Apple says development is expected to finish by spring 2027, with release shortly afterward, and the capability is tied to EU-only infrastructure using AccessorySetupKit and Proximity Pairing. Meta has objected to aspects of the approach, including concerns it would require changes away from Core Bluetooth for pairing outside Europe. Apple’s plan is currently described as limited to the EU while the matter remains in an ongoing EU phase.
Apple develops AirPods-like pairing to meet EU request from Meta for Meta glasses and Quest
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has pressed Apple through an EU interoperability request for the ability to pair Meta devices with iPhones and iPads in a way similar to AirPods—so that once a us...
- Meta submits an EU interoperability request seeking automatic AirPods-like pairing across a user’s iPhone and iPad devices.
- Apple’s plan involves new pairing capabilities for third-party accessories, including cryptographic mechanisms and one-time user consent.
- The proposed AirPods-like pairing relies on Apple infrastructure (AccessorySetupKit and Proximity Pairing) tied to EU requirements and is described as EU-only so far.
- Apple expects to complete development by spring 2027 and ship shortly thereafter, with timing suggesting an iOS 27-series update.
- Meta objects to the approach, including concerns about maintaining Core Bluetooth-based pairing outside the EU, while Apple has so far declined to decouple the systems.
Apple's building AirPods-like pairing for Meta devices under EU pressure, using AccessorySetupKit and Proximity Pairing. It's targeting spring 2027 delivery.
6 hours agoMeta has spent nine months pressing Apple to open up to rivals the way it pairs devices like AirPods, and won't take Apple's excuses for an answer.Meta Ray-Bans in use - Image Credit: MetaFacebook owner Meta has previously been trying to use European Union regulations to get it access to iPhone user data that it cannot possibly have a legitimate use for. But now it's been revealed that the company has also pressed for potentially more reasonable help on pairing its devices."We would like to be able to pair a Meta device with an iPhone or iPad," writes the company in its formal EU interoperability request, "and have it automatically available and paired on other iPhones and iPads associated with that user by coordination via Meta's own cloud services." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
8 hours agoApple is developing a new API that will let third-party accessories, including Meta's Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Quest headsets, automatically pair across a user's Apple devices the same way AirPods and the Apple Watch do today, according to Apple's EU Interoperability Request page. The plan responds to a request Meta filed in October 2025 under the EU's Digital Markets Act, asking Apple to let a Meta device, once paired with one iPhone or iPad, automatically become available on a user's other Apple devices without extra prompts. Third-party accessories have never been able to tap into that ability, meaning owning non-Apple hardware alongside an iPhone has always involved more friction. If Apple builds this out, that gap will close, at least for whichever manufacturers get access to the new API. Apple told Meta on February 4 that it plans to let third-party apps access cryptographic materials that make a pairing completed on one Apple device usable on another, secured by a session key and a one-time, per-accessory user consent. Apple expects to finish development by spring 2027 and ship it "shortly thereafter," which points toward an iOS 27.x update, possibly iOS 27.4, though Apple has not yet confirmed a version. The feature runs on AccessorySetupKit and Proximity Pairing, infrastructure Apple built to comply with a March 2025 European Commission ruling and which only works in the EU today, the same infrastructure behind the proximity pairing feature already live for EU users. Meta has objected that adopting it would force the company to abandon Core Bluetooth, which it relies on for pairing everywhere outside Europe, and has asked Apple to decouple the two. Apple has declined so far, though it told Meta that support outside the EU "is something we are still considering." The request remains in phase three as of Apple's most recent update. Meta hasn't yet invoked the DMA's formal dispute resolution process, which would trigger a review by Apple's Interoperability Request Review Board within 30 working days. Until then, Apple's plan proceeds with a spring 2027 rollout tied to AccessorySetupKit, in the EU only.Related Roundup: AirPods 4Tags: European Union, MetaBuyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution)Related Forum: AirPodsThis article, "Apple Plans AirPods-Like Pairing for Meta's Glasses and Quest" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
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