iOS 27 Brings System-Level Google Cast to the iPhone
With iOS 27, Apple is reportedly preparing one of its most significant changes to casting on the iPhone: native Google Cast support built directly into the operating system. Until now, iPhones have relied on Apple’s own AirPlay protocol as the default for screen mirroring and media casting, while Google Cast access has largely depended on individual apps integrating Google’s Cast SDK. System-level integration would allow users to beam a far wider range of content—from videos and music to presentations and photos—straight to any TV, speaker, or display that supports Google Cast without juggling dedicated apps. According to reporting, Apple is also expected to let users switch the default casting framework from AirPlay to Google Cast, effectively putting both standards on more equal footing. Confirmation of this shift is anticipated during Apple’s upcoming WWDC keynote.
A Major Shift in Apple’s Screen Mirroring Strategy
Native casting support for Google Cast represents an important philosophical pivot for Apple. Historically, the company has tightly controlled core frameworks such as Apple screen mirroring, keeping AirPlay at the center of its ecosystem and encouraging users to stay within Apple-centric hardware setups. By elevating Google Cast to a system-level option, Apple acknowledges that many users live in mixed-device homes where Chromecast dongles, Cast-enabled TVs, and smart speakers already dominate. Giving people an option to change their default casting framework suggests Apple is willing to compete on experience rather than exclusivity alone. It also reduces friction for developers, who no longer need to rely solely on per-app implementations to reach popular living room devices. In practice, iOS 27 could make it just as seamless to cast from an iPhone to a Cast-ready display as it is to use AirPlay with Apple TV today.
Why Europe Gets Native Google Cast First
The catch is that this expanded Google Cast integration appears limited to users in European Union member states, at least initially. This geographic split is closely tied to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, a landmark law targeting so-called gatekeeper platforms and mandating that they open up key services to rival providers. The DMA has already pushed Apple to allow third-party app stores within the bloc, and casting frameworks are a logical next front. By enabling Google Cast at a system level and giving users control over their default casting protocol, Apple can argue it complies with requirements to avoid unfairly favoring its own services. Outside this regulatory environment, Apple currently has less legal pressure to relax control over casting, which helps explain why the feature may not roll out in the same way elsewhere.
What Non-European Users Can Expect from iOS 27
For users outside the EU, iOS 27 may feel more evolutionary than revolutionary when it comes to casting. Without the same regulatory push, Apple is likely to keep AirPlay as the only system-level standard, meaning people will continue to rely on Apple screen mirroring or third-party casting apps that tap Google’s Cast SDK on a per-app basis. That arrangement still allows streaming to many Google Cast devices, but it is less flexible than having native casting support across the entire operating system. The broader iOS 27 update is rumored to introduce other headline features—such as a dedicated Siri app, a redesigned Camera interface, and new AI photo-editing tools—which will reach users globally. However, when it comes to frictionless casting to non-Apple devices, those outside the EU may find themselves watching from the sidelines, at least for the near term.