Regulatory Friction: Apple to Disable Automatic Wi-Fi Sync on Apple Watch in the EU

Regulatory Friction: Apple will disable the automatic Wi‑Fi sync on Apple Watch devices used in the European Union, with the change slated to accompany iOS 26.2, expected to be officially released in December 2025. Beginning then, Apple Watch devices sold in the EU will no longer be able to automatically sync Wi‑Fi credentials from their paired iPhones, forcing users to open Settings, go to Wi‑Fi, and manually select a network and enter a password each time they switch networks.

The move follows a dispute between Apple and the European Union over the openness of accessory functionality, with EU regulations arguing that first‑party features must be accessible to third‑party manufacturers and service providers outside Apple’s ecosystem. Apple has refused to comply, citing security and privacy concerns, and according to AppleInsider, the aim is to maintain compliance without sharing its proprietary access mechanisms by disabling automatic Wi‑Fi sync in the EU.

The change has drawn backlash from European Apple Watch users and could signal further regulatory frictions if negotiations do not reconcile the differences.