iOS 18: Setting up accessories is much easier

In the future, Apple will give accessory manufacturers the opportunity to connect their devices to iPhones and iPads as easily as possible, which is possible with Apple devices such as AirPods. However, the new option presented at the WWDC developer conference requires the accessory manufacturer’s own app for iOS and iPadOS, which must be open when contact is made.

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When Apple introduced AirPods in 2016, one of the selling points was the much easier way to connect the in-ear headphones to Apple devices. Instead of setting up a new connection in the Bluetooth settings on either side, you just have to hold the AirPod case in front of the device. The setup will then be confirmed in a pop-up window. The headphones will also be used in the future without the user having to do anything. To this day, this method makes it more convenient to use Apple accessories on iPhones, etc. than other manufacturers.

Just as comfortable as AirPods

The possibilities of the new interface called AccessorySetupKit are apparently not as many as Apple’s – while Apple’s own accessories are recognized at the system level, AccessorySetupKit requires its own app As per developer documentation Obviously this also has to remain open.

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But then the setup process is similar to AirPods: the manufacturer can store an image and a name that should be displayed in a pop-up window. Apple advertises that the new approach should be not only more convenient, but also more privacy-friendly, since apps should not be able to get much information about what other devices are connected.

From iOS 18 and iPadOS 18

AccessorySetupKit can connect to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices. To do this, developers must store the corresponding key stats and names of their accessories in their app so that it can find the devices. The connection to the accessory can also be removed or the name can be renamed using the app.

To use AccessorySetupKit, iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 is required, which are currently only available as developer beta versions. According to Apple’s schedule, the release for all users will take place in the autumn.

(MKI)

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