Apple’s ongoing efforts to comply with the EU’s DMA may soon bring the removal of a key feature. A new report says that iOS 26.2 will drop EU support for iPhones syncing Wi-Fi networks to Apple Watch.
Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch may be disabled with iOS 26.2 in the EU
Yesterday Apple announced that AirPods Live Translation will launch in the EU with iOS 26.2.
It first arrived in the US and elsewhere with iOS 26, but Apple said: “Live Translation on AirPods was delayed for users in the EU due to the additional engineering work needed to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act.”
Alongside that news, however, it seems iOS 26.2 may also bring a feature regression for EU users.
Apple told French publication Numerama that in iOS 26.2, iPhone won’t be able to sync Wi-Fi details to Apple Watch like it can now. This is due to DMA requirements.
Here’s an excerpt translated into English:
Apple announced to Numerama that it had made the decision to disable Wi-Fi synchronization between an iPhone and an Apple Watch in Europe so as not to have to comply with the European Commission’s request, which wants to force it by the end of 2025 to open the iPhone’s Wi-Fi to third-party accessories.
The end of year deadline for compliance lines up with iOS 26.2’s release date next month. If Apple doesn’t disable Wi-Fi syncing, it will need to open Wi-Fi access to third-party accessories before then.
This isn’t a punitive or retaliatory move. Rather, Apple says it’s necessary to protect the privacy of its users.
Top comment by OrangeFries
Well - I am living in the EU and I am a Apple fan for years. One of the reasons is the closed eco system - and the security it brings with it. So I really hate what the EU is doing and I consider Apple is taken the right (but for me painful) steps.
For several months, Apple has been warning that the European Commission has been asking it to share the history of Wi-Fi connections with third-party groups. A request that Apple considers inadmissible for security reasons: the brand explains that a competitor like Meta could use the Wi-Fi link between an iPhone and Meta Ray-Ban glasses to know your Wi-Fi history, and therefore know where you were and at what time, in order to offer you targeted advertisements.
Apple indicates that the European Commission is asking it to replicate the link between an iPhone and an Apple Watch, but with third-party products. Apple, after thinking long about how to implement this function, finally decided to reject the European request. Since Europe requires that third-party products be treated like the Apple Watch, then Apple disables the function on Apple Watch. This allows it to comply with the DMA.
It’s not entirely clear what the user experience will be like for Apple Watch users after this iOS 26.2 change is implemented.
For example, Numerama indicates it might not impact the Watch when its paired iPhone is nearby, but instead will only be a problem when the iPhone is out of range. But the actual details haven’t yet been spelled out by Apple.
What do you think of Apple’s decision with Wi-Fi syncing in iOS 26.2? Let us know in the comments.
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