Apple's New API for Cross-Device Pairing: What It Means for Meta's Ray-Ban Glasses and Quest Headsets

The New API: How It Works and What It Does

Apple's proposed solution is a new API that lets third-party apps sync the data needed to reuse an accessory pairing across a user's other iPhones and iPads, eliminating the need to manually pair on each device . The API is tied to Apple's AccessorySetupKit framework, which was first introduced in iOS 18 to give third-party accessories the same one-tap setup experience as AirPods and AirTag . Starting in iOS 26, apps that want to be automatically relaunched to service Bluetooth accessories are required to use AccessorySetupKit .

Apple plans to roll out the cross-device pairing feature in spring 2027, initially in the EU only . The underlying proximity-pairing infrastructure was already introduced in iOS 26.5, which allows compatible third-party accessories brought near an iPhone to trigger a one-tap pairing prompt .

Meta's Push for Interoperability: The Request and the Objection

Meta first submitted an interoperability request in October 2025 asking for AirPods-like cross-device pairing for its Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Quest headsets . In its request, which is publicly available on Apple's EU interoperability portal, Meta stated that its users currently have to navigate additional prompts on each new iPhone or iPad, and that Meta cannot build a similar cloud-synced system due to limited access to the iPhone's Bluetooth pairing functionality .

Meta accepted that Apple's proposed API would provide the "core functionality" it requested, but objected to tying API access to AccessorySetupKit. Meta argued that this would force it to abandon Core Bluetooth—which it relies on for pairing outside Europe—and could worsen the setup experience for its devices outside the EU .

Apple's DMA Compliance Work: iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.5

Apple has already shipped two major DMA-driven updates for third-party accessories:

• iOS 26.3 (released January 2026) introduced proximity pairing for third-party accessories in the EU, allowing earbuds and other devices to be paired by bringing them close to an iPhone or iPad with a simple one-tap process. It also added notification forwarding for third-party smartwatches . The European Commission praised the update as "another step towards a more inter-connected digital ecosystem to the benefit of all EU citizens" .
• iOS 26.5 expanded this with proximity-triggered pairing features that device makers can now test, making the pairing experience even more seamless for third-party accessories .

These capabilities are mandated by the DMA's Article 6(7), which requires Apple to provide free and effective interoperability with hardware and software features it controls .

The Ongoing Standoff: Privacy, Control, and the Future of Cross-Device Pairing

The relationship between the two companies over interoperability is deeply adversarial:

• Apple's position: Apple has publicly stated that Meta has made "15 requests (and counting) for potentially far-reaching access to Apple's technology stack" that, if granted, "would reduce the protections around personal data" . Apple argues that Meta is a "data-hungry" company with a track record of privacy violations, and that granting its requests could expose users' messages, photos, passwords, and other sensitive data .
• Meta's position: Meta counters that Apple is using privacy concerns as a pretext to limit competition and that the AccessorySetupKit requirement would create a fragmented experience for its users across regions .
• Current standoff: Apple has declined Meta's request to decouple the API from AccessorySetupKit, though it told Meta that support outside the EU "is something we are still considering" . Meta has not 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 . The request remains in phase three as of Apple's most recent update .

For iPhone users in the EU, the practical outcome is clear: by spring 2027, pairing third-party smart glasses or VR headsets is set to become as seamless as unboxing a new pair of AirPods. But for Meta, the fight is not just about the feature itself—it is about whether Apple will allow that same seamless experience to work worldwide, without requiring developers to rebuild their pairing logic from the ground up.