Apple will remove a long‑used convenience feature for users in the European Union: with the imminent release of iOS 26.2, iPhones will no longer sync stored Wi‑Fi network details to paired Apple Watches inside the EU. The change, Apple says, is a direct consequence of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the company’s efforts to avoid exposing sensitive Wi‑Fi data to third‑party accessories.
What’s changing and why
According to reporting based on Apple’s comments to European outlets, iOS 26.2 — expected next month and timed to meet an end‑of‑year DMA compliance milestone — will disable the ability for an iPhone to share Wi‑Fi access information with an Apple Watch when devices are operating under EU rules. Apple frames the move as a privacy and security safeguard: the company says the DMA’s requirements would force Apple to give the same Wi‑Fi access to third‑party accessories as it currently provides to the Apple Watch, potentially allowing outside devices to infer a user’s location history or other sensitive signals.
Apple has argued that treating third‑party products the same way as first‑party accessories could enable rivals or other manufacturers to collect detailed Wi‑fi connection histories and use them for targeted advertising or other profiling — a risk the company says it cannot accept. Rather than opening the iPhone’s Wi‑Fi data to all accessories, Apple told reporters it will remove the syncing capability for Apple Watch in the EU so it is not compelled to expose the same data to third parties.
The broader regulatory backdrop: DMA and DSA
The changes arise from the EU’s twin regulatory push on big tech: the Digital Markets Act (DMA), designed to force gatekeepers to open key platform interfaces to competitors, and the Digital Services Act (DSA), which tightens rules around illegal content and consumer protections. Under the DMA, companies designated as gatekeepers must implement new interoperability and access measures by deadlines set by regulators — and face stiff fines for noncompliance.
European regulators have specified several technical areas where Apple must improve compatibility by the end of 2025. Those include broader access to iOS notifications for third‑party smartwatches, allowing third‑party apps to run in the background more reliably, enabling easier pairing flows similar to AirPods, providing Wi‑Fi access data to external accessories, and opening certain NFC payment flows to other hardware.
A German technology outlet that detailed the DMA timetable noted that Apple must supply initial beta functionality for some of these items this year, with deeper system integration required into 2026 for features like cross‑platform file transfers.
Apple’s public complaints and EU enforcement
Apple has been vocal in its opposition to how the DMA is being enforced. In a letter to the European Commission, Apple vice president Kyle Andeer warned that loosening App Store controls and enabling links out to third‑party platforms increases exposure to scams, fraud and harmful content — arguing that the DMA’s enforcement posture has made iOS and iPadOS less safe for consumers. The company also appealed an April €500 million fine imposed under the DMA and is pursuing legal challenges to aspects of the law itself.
Regulators, for their part, say the DMA aims to restore competition and interoperability long withheld by dominant platform owners. The European Commission has declined to grant Apple the sweeping exemptions it sought, and has pushed the timetable that leads into this year‑end compliance window.
How users may be affected
Apple’s explanation leaves several practical questions open. Reports suggest the change could matter most when the paired iPhone is out of range: currently an Apple Watch can use networks the iPhone has already authenticated to connect to Wi‑Fi independently. Removing the sync may mean watches lose that convenience and may need to rely on cellular connections, direct pairing, or reentering networks manually when the phone is absent.
Apple has indicated it will not disable all related functionality globally; some interoperability changes the company has implemented, such as support for certain Wi‑Fi direct technologies, are already available outside the EU. But the company also appears prepared to limit some features by region if required by local law.
Separately, Apple has announced that AirPods Live Translation — a feature introduced earlier in other markets — will arrive for EU users with iOS 26.2, a reminder that some features continue to roll out even as others are cut back regionally.
Perspectives and implications
Supporters of the DMA say the rules will spur competition and give rival device makers and app developers access to platform capabilities historically reserved for Apple hardware. The EU’s detailed requirements aim to let third‑party smartwatches, earbuds and other accessories offer parity with Apple devices for features such as notifications, payments and connectivity.
Apple and other U.S. technology firms counter that accelerated opening of core systems risks user privacy and security, and could create avenues for fraud and malicious behavior that the company argues it is uniquely positioned to mitigate. The dispute has also spilled into trade and political arenas: U.S. policymakers have objected to aspects of the DMA, and the issue has factored into broader tensions over transatlantic tech rules.
What’s next
iOS 26.2’s EU build is expected to appear in the coming weeks, aligning with the DMA’s deadline. The exact user experience after the change remains to be detailed by Apple; regulators could yet negotiate clarifications or implementation guidance. Apple remains in legal appeals over the DMA and its fines, so further developments — in court filings, EU enforcement steps, or future software updates — are likely.
For now, Apple Watch owners in the EU should anticipate a possible loss of automatic Wi‑Fi handoff from iPhone to watch and prepare for alternative connectivity arrangements until the rules and technical solutions settle into place.