Apple users in the European Union will soon be without a familiar feature: automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch may disappear in an upcoming iOS 26 update. This decision is due to new rules from Brussels on cooperation and privacy with regard to WiFi networks.
This all has to do with the Digital Markets Regulation (DMA); it states that the Wi-Fi network features must be open to all manufacturers if Apple does this too. For privacy reasons, Apple does not want other manufacturers to be able to simply take over the WiFi data and therefore disables WiFi synchronization.
Why does Wi-Fi sync disappear?
For years, Apple made it possible to easily have WiFi networks that you used on your iPhone taken over by your Apple Watch. Due to new EU legislation that requires Apple to open the iPhone’s Wi-Fi platform to third-party providers, the tech giant has chosen to disable this function in Europe.
Apple confirms on the French website Numerama that iPhone in iOS 26.2 will not be able to sync Wi-Fi data with Apple Watch like it is now. This is due to DMA requirements. The following response can be read on the website:
“Apple announced to Numerama that it had made the decision to disable Wi-Fi syncing between an iPhone and an Apple Watch in Europe so that it does not have to comply with the European Commission’s request, which wants to force it to open the iPhone’s Wi-Fi to third-party accessories by the end of 2025.”
Apple states that sharing this data with third parties poses significant privacy and security risks. “Companies have already requested access to sensitive data such as the list of saved Wi-Fi networks,” Apple said. According to the company, this is ‘unacceptable’ and poses a threat to the privacy of European users.
Consequences for user
Starting with the relevant update, Apple Watch users in the EU will have to manually connect to new Wi-Fi networks when their iPhone is not nearby. This may mean an extra step, but the impact on the daily use of your Apple Watch is expected to remain limited.
Apple is following the same course as for previous EU requirements, where certain functions such as alternative app stores and later rollout of Apple Intelligence in Europe have already been adjusted.
Apple may still be able to find a solution that adds automatic login, for example, Apple has also found a workaround for Live Translate for AirPods.
Apple not happy with DMA
In Europe, millions of people choose Apple products because of their design and reliability. And developers choose Apple because of the enormous international market for their products. This business model appears to work well, both in Europe and the rest of the world.
However, due to the European Digital Markets Regulation, Apple has had to make some worrying adjustments to the design and delivery of Apple products for its users in Europe.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a regulation that the European Union introduced in 2022 to guide tech companies on how they make their products. This regulation contains many rules, but their application varies per company.
For Apple, the DMA affects several ways in which users use Apple products in the EU, such as app downloads, payments and interoperability between Apple products.
Recently, the European Commission, which is responsible for the DMA, requested feedback from both companies and EU citizens on the impact of this scheme. This prompted Apple to inform its users in the EU about the current changes and what we can expect in the future.
You can read the full response in the featured article below.