Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2
Apple will disable automatic iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi syncing in the EU due to Digital Markets Act rules, requiring manual connection and raising security concerns, Apple said.
- Next month, Apple will disable automatic Wi‑Fi syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union in iOS 26.2, removing the feature instead of opening Wi‑Fi access to third parties.
- Apple filed an appeal on May 30 at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, challenging the Digital Markets Act which requires opening iPhone Wi‑Fi hardware access to third-party accessories by 2025.
- Apple warned the EU that `risks to users on our devices will inevitably increase,` and said the DMA approach is reckless and dangerous, according to Kyle Andeer in a Thursday letter.
- Apple Watch owners in the EU may need to connect to Wi‑Fi networks manually when their iPhone is out of range, but Apple says most users will see limited practical impact, confirming this to French publication Numerama.
- Regulatory pressure in recent years, including the Digital Services Act and DMA, has escalated scrutiny of major tech firms; Apple was fined 500 million euros in April and faced a U.S. antitrust suit last year.
14 Articles
14 Articles
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What Apple gives with one hand, pull with the other. IOS 26.2 will allow the simultaneous translation of AirPods into Europe, but at the same time, it will disable a little known functionality...
Apple to remove Wi-Fi network syncing on Apple Watch in EU
Apple will disable Wi-Fi synchronization between iPhones and Apple Watches in Europe, the company has confirmed, in response to European Union pressure to open up the iPhone’s wireless systems to third-party devices. In a statement provided to French publication Numerama, Apple said the move is being made to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and to avoid new EU requirements that could force the company to share users’ Wi-Fi connection hi…
Apple Watch Will Soon Lose iPhone Wi-Fi Sync in the EU
With iOS 26.2, Apple will remove Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch for EU users, citing new interoperability requirements under the Digital Markets Act — the first known case of an existing feature being disabled due to the law.Read More...
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