The first generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses. | Image by Ray-Ban
One neat thing Apple users enjoy is that when they pair, let’s say, AirPods Pro 3 with an iPhone 17, then the accessory is automatically paired with their other Apple devices. This feature was never available for third-party accessories, which has led to a months-long back-and-forth between Meta and Apple with an interesting outcome.
Apple plans to allow AirPods-like pairing for third-party accessories
Apple appears to be working on a solution that will make it comply with EU regulations and a Meta request to allow third-party accessories to connect with its devices in the same way available to AirPods and Apple Watches. The company is developing a way for devices like the Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses and the Meta Quest headset to automatically pair across all of a user’s Apple devices.
The plan appears to be the result of an EU interoperability request, which was submitted by Meta in October 2025. Since then, the two tech giants have been engaged in a publicly available back-and-forth, which has revealed some intriguing details.
What kind of accessories do you use with your phone?
Breaking new ground for third-party accessories on the iPhone
The Meta Quest headsets are also going to be affected by the feature. | Image by PhoneArena
What’s clear from the communication between the two companies is that third-party accessories will finally get an ability that was never available to them before. The change should remove at least some of the friction faced by any iPhone owner who wants to use non-Apple accessories, though there are still open questions left.
One of those is whether the features will ever be available outside the EU. The solution that Apple appears to be developing runs on infrastructure that Apple has built to comply with a 2025 order from the European Union.
Because of that, Meta has objected to Apple’s solution, which would force it to abandon the method of pairing it currently uses everywhere outside Europe. When asked to decouple the two methods, Apple declined, saying other developers had adopted the solution it proposed outside the EU without issues.
Just like with any other feature that Apple was forced to implement because of EU regulations, this one is also unlikely to make it to other countries. Users on Reddit have been pretty clear how they feel about Apple limiting their access to earlier implementations. One user succinctly described the region-locking as a “choice,” while another one said that’s how the company shows its true face.
Apple's reputation is taking a hit lately. | Image by Reddit (Screenshot
When will this feature be available?
Even for users in the EU, the feature is still in development. Apple says it expects to finish with its work on it by spring 2027 and to ship it to users “shortly thereafter.”
This means we won’t see the new pairing abilities in the final iOS 27, which is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra in September. Instead, it’ll most likely be part of an iOS 27.x update.
Tear down the wall
I couldn’t care less about the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, but I use several pairs of non-Apple earbuds with all my Apple devices, and I’d love to have them all connect seamlessly. That may not be the most critical feature, but every wall is torn down the same way it’s built—brick by brick.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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