Apple will disable the automatic transfer of Wi Fi networks from iPhone to Apple Watch for users in the European Union. This change was discovered in the iOS 26.2 developer beta and then confirmed in a report that cites Apple. The company made the choice as it adjusts to recent EU interoperability demands.
What will change
Apple Watch owners in the EU may no longer see known Wi Fi networks appear automatically on their watch when those networks exist on a paired iPhone. If a paired iPhone is out of range, the watch may need to join networks manually. The feature that synced stored Wi Fi credentials from the iPhone to the watch will be turned off in the region.
The change came as Apple rolled out an iOS developer beta that also added Live Translation for EU languages. At the same time, Apple told a French outlet that it will disable Wi Fi synchronization between iPhones and Apple Watches in Europe. The company frames the move as a response to new EU rules about opening device hardware to third parties.
Why Apple is doing this
Regulators in Europe have pushed for stronger interoperability rules for major device makers. The rules can require platforms to allow outside software and services to use device hardware and functions in new ways. Apple has said that opening low-level iPhone hardware features to third parties could create privacy and security risks for users. Legal commentary and analysis of the EU decisions show that the Commission has been pressing Apple to make changes to meet its obligations.
Apple faces specific deadlines in EU policy work that aim to widen access to device hardware for third-party developers and service providers. That pressure is part of a broader series of actions by the Commission to apply interoperability rules to major platforms. Legal teams and industry observers have documented the Commission calls for Apple to implement changes to comply with these requirements.