iOS 27 could give Google Cast native integration, like AirPlay, thanks to the EU

Ben Schoon | May 25 2026 - 9:10 am PT

A new report from Bloomberg suggests that iOS 27 might add Google Cast integration, among other third-party solutions, as Apple tries to keep the EU off its back.

It’s already possible to use Google Cast (also known as Chromecast) in iOS apps, but developers need to manually build that into the app. iOS as a whole only supports one streaming protocol natively, and that’s Apple’s own AirPlay. So third-party options like Miracast and Google Cast end up left out and only working on an app-by-app basis.

That may soon change.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is looking to build support into iOS 27 for “third-party AirPlay streaming alternatives,” with Google Cast mentioned by name in the report. Specifically, Apple would be allowing users to set alternatives as a “default solution” in place of AirPlay.

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Apple, looking to satisfy the latest requirements of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, is building support into iOS 27 for third-party AirPlay streaming alternatives, I’m told. This means that outside services — such as Google Cast — can be set by users as the default solution for beaming video, photos and audio from an Apple device to a speaker or TV.

That’s great news for anyone who has invested in a solution other than Apple’s own. Google Cast, being widely available on many speakers and TVs, would immediately be a strong alternative to AirPlay.

That said, as our sister site 9to5Mac points out, it’s likely this will roll out only in the European Union, as Apple hasn’t readily adopted other software-based changes forced by the EU in other parts of the globe. It’d be a brilliant addition, especially for those living in households with a mix of iPhones and Android phones – Apple doesn’t support AirPlay on Android, which almost certainly won’t be changing anytime soon unless the EU gets its way – but we’ll just have to wait and see how widely it becomes available.