Turns out the iPhone is turning into an Android phone in more ways than one – and it's all thanks to Europe
Apple could be about to embrace an unexpected feature
Quick summary
There could be support for Google Cast coming to future iPhone models.
It's thought that iOS 27 will expand beyond just AirPlay support to meet EU DMA requirements.
Apple could equip future iPhone models with Google Cast to meet demands from the European Union's DMA. That will mean that other beaming protocols will be supported alongside Apple AirPlay.
The EU's Digital Markets Act includes a section about interoperability, designed to force "gatekeepers" (in this case Apple) to allow other providers access to hardware and software features on devices.
It's designed to ensure that choices remain open and that brands can't effectively monopolise their device by denying service parity. That clause is comically article 6(7).
While Apple has offered its own AirPlay service for many years, support for other protocols has been contained to within apps, rather than across the device as a whole. The change – coming in iOS 27 could give the option to change the default sharing option to something other than AirPlay.
That's according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who refers to the move as "extreme requirements from the European Union's Digital Markets Act".
Also in Power On: iOS 27 will include the ability to set alternatives to AirPlay as the default media beaming protocol in order to meet the latest extreme requirements from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. https://t.co/cCoTAqHVoUMay 24, 2026
Apple AirPlay allows iPhone owners to mirror the device or device content (like music or video) on another screen or speaker. Google Cast basically does the same thing, the difference being that some receiver devices don't support AirPlay (just as some don't support Google Cast).
However, Google Cast is widely offered – especially on more affordable devices – so the addition of the option for iPhone users could be a great benefit. That might only come to devices in the EU, however, rather than being a global change.
Whether it's actually a useful feature will depend on how you use your device. While Google Cast was a great option for streaming media over the last decade, it's now fairly easy to access content directly on the device you're using, without needing a phone.
Exceptions include photos and self-made videos, with Google Cast and Apple AirPlay great options for sharing holiday photos and home videos with friends and family.
The biggest change expected with iOS 27 is the relaunch of Apple Intelligence and Siri, but this time powered by Google's Gemini, with Google's technology seeping into Apple's flagship device.
The gap between Android and iOS certainly seems to be narrowing.
