According to a new report from the usually very reliable Mark Gurman over at Bloomberg, Apple is currently working on adding third-party AirPlay alternatives to the upcoming iOS 27, which is going to be unveiled on June 8.
So far, the only streaming protocol built right into iOS at the system level is Apple’s own AirPlay. However, the company will allegedly add third-party options like Google Cast in iOS 27, and will even let you set these as the default for wirelessly streaming stuff from your iPhone to a speaker or TV.
If you’re wondering what’s happening, the EU is to “blame” for this one, apparently. Apple will do this simply in order to make sure that it satisfies the latest requirements of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. And there’s the caveat right there – it’s unclear if this will only be available in the EU, or if Apple will make the third-party casting support work across the world.
It doesn’t need to, but in the end it may prove easier to just maintain one code database and not multiples. We’ll have to wait and see exactly how the company will approach this.