iOS 26 Wi-Fi Aware is officially cleared for takeoff. With iOS 26 finally opening up the Wi-Fi Aware API, non-Apple devices can now establish high-speed direct connections with iPhones — no router, no network required — just like AirDrop. This enables third-party hardware to truly integrate into Apple's smart home, accessory, and content sharing ecosystem. To meet iOS 26's mandatory data path encryption requirements, Realtek has broken through first, successfully demonstrating secure direct connections and high-definition video streaming with iPhones.

Key Takeaways

Proximity pairing: Skip the router and network setup — smart devices are automatically discovered and communicate with iPhones
Full encryption implementation: Meets Apple's mandatory end-to-end data encryption requirements; secure link verified
Dual-network concurrency: Stream video or transfer files from device to phone while apps like WeChat and navigation stay online
High throughput, low latency: Hardware-grade encryption delivers stutter-free HD video streaming

Inside the Apple ecosystem, AirDrop represents a system-level proximity-based direct connection mechanism. When two Apple devices come close to each other, the system automatically recognizes them and transfers data directly between devices without relying on the internet.

iOS 26 extends this capability to third-party hardware through Wi-Fi Aware. Devices equipped with Realtek's Wi-Fi Aware solution can be recognized by iPhones at the system level, establishing encrypted direct connections. The entire process happens in the system — all the user experiences is "approach, tap, connect."

01 / A New Experience: No More Dropping Your Connection to Watch a Video

How much of a real-world difference can router-free peer-to-peer connectivity really make?

If you've ever used a dash cam or action camera, you've probably run into this frustration: to transfer a video from the device to your phone, you either have to pull the SD card and use a card reader, or connect your phone to the device's Wi-Fi hotspot. Every time you connect, you have to search for the hotspot and re-enter the password. And once you're on the hotspot, your phone's cellular connection drops — no WeChat messages, no navigation. After watching the video, you have to manually switch back to your usual network.

With Realtek's Wi-Fi Aware solution, your phone automatically detects the device as soon as it's nearby and quickly reconnects. A one-time pairing confirmation is all it takes — every time after that, it connects instantly. While streaming video, your phone's 5G stays active, so internet browsing and device-to-device transfers happen simultaneously without interference.

That's the change iOS 26 brings by opening up Wi-Fi Aware. It not only extends the "approach and connect" experience to third-party hardware, but also frees smart devices from the tedious era of "network setup and disconnection."

02 / Meeting iOS 26 Security Standards: Realtek Delivers End-to-End Encrypted Connectivity

Making this seamless connectivity a reality goes beyond simply adopting the protocol. To protect user privacy and security, Apple mandates that all data paths must be built on the NAN 4.0 Pairing security framework, with two-way identity authentication and an end-to-end encrypted channel (Secure NDP, compliant with WPA2/WPA3 security standards). Without a successful secure handshake, the iOS system will refuse to establish the connection.

Realtek has implemented this encrypted direct connection capability at the system level and validated high-speed data transmission through throughput testing. Test results show that even under encryption, bandwidth is more than sufficient for real-time HD video preview and large-file transfers across all types of IoT devices.

In other words:

The iPhone can accurately identify the device
The link is established in compliance with iOS security standards and encrypted
Video streams are transmitted stably
The phone stays connected to external networks

All four capabilities must work together for the direct-connect experience to truly deliver.

03 / Breaking Down Ecosystem Barriers: A Full-Stack Solution is Ready

Over 1 billion iPhones worldwide will gradually gain Wi-Fi Aware capabilities as iOS 26 rolls out.

This marks a major upgrade to the everyday interaction experience for all kinds of IoT devices — the tedious connection setup disappears entirely, and smart services happen more naturally:

For dash cams, action cameras, and smart projectors — a brand-new transfer method that never drops your network connection;
For smart home devices — a new device near your phone instantly prompts a one-step setup notification;
For industrial equipment and edge computing nodes in network-constrained environments — data collection can be done through direct phone connection, no laptop or wired network required.

Realtek has completed Wi-Fi Aware compatibility validation on both iOS 26 and Android platforms — the technology foundation is in place. Relevant development resources (SDK, development guides, and companion Apps) are available to customers, ready for product integration.

We welcome industry partners and developers to reach out and evaluate how this technology can elevate the connectivity experience of your next-generation products.