Apple Plans Seamless Cross-Device Pairing for Meta's Quest and Ray-Ban Glasses

Summary

Apple is developing a new API that will allow third-party accessories, including Meta's Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Quest headsets, to automatically pair across a user's Apple devices—similar to how AirPods and Apple Watches currently function. The feature responds to a formal interoperability request Meta filed under the European Union's Digital Markets Act in October 2025, which sought to eliminate the friction users experience when pairing non-Apple hardware with iPhones and iPads.

The new capability will leverage Apple's AccessorySetupKit and Proximity Pairing infrastructure, which the company built to comply with a March 2025 European Commission ruling. According to Apple's EU Interoperability Request page, the company plans to provide third-party developers access to cryptographic materials that enable pairings completed on one Apple device to work seamlessly across others, secured by session keys and one-time user consent. Apple expects development to complete by spring 2027, with a rollout expected shortly thereafter, likely via an iOS 27.x update.

However, the rollout remains complicated by regional limitations. Meta has objected to Apple's requirement that developers use the EU-specific AccessorySetupKit instead of the more globally-used Core Bluetooth framework, which Meta currently relies on for pairing outside Europe. While Apple has declined Meta's request to decouple the systems so far, the company indicated it is "still considering" expanding the feature outside the EU. The request remains in phase three of the DMA dispute resolution process, and Meta has not yet triggered formal regulatory intervention.

• Meta requested Apple allow use of Core Bluetooth globally instead of EU-specific framework; Apple hasn't agreed but says it's considering non-EU expansion
• Represents a significant shift in Apple's ecosystem openness, driven by regulatory pressure from EU's Digital Markets Act

Editorial Opinion

This development underscores the EU's regulatory muscle in reshaping how Big Tech operates globally. By forcing Apple to open seamless pairing to competitors, the DMA eliminates a key competitive moat—the friction users faced pairing non-Apple devices. However, Apple's insistence on EU-only infrastructure initially reveals its reluctance to fundamentally change its global strategy. For Meta, this is a meaningful regulatory victory that could drive Quest adoption among iPhone users by removing a longstanding pain point, though the multi-year timeline and regional restrictions show the complexity of forcing interoperability on a company like Apple.