According to 9to5Mac, Apple is removing automatic Wi-Fi history sharing between iPhone and Apple Watch specifically in the European Union starting with iOS 26.2 and watchOS 26.2 next month. The change means when EU users set up a new Apple Watch, their iPhone won’t automatically share previously connected Wi-Fi networks like Starbucks or home networks. Users will need to manually enter passwords for each network they want their watch to remember. However, future networks connected on iPhone will still sync to Apple Watch when both devices are together. This affects only the EU due to Digital Markets Act interoperability requirements that would force Apple to provide the same access to third-party devices.
Why Apple can’t just share
Here’s the thing that makes this situation unique: Apple never actually sees or stores your Wi-Fi history in the first place. The current system works completely privately between your devices. When Tim Sweeney suggests Apple should “just ask the user” to share with third parties, he’s missing the technical reality. Apple can’t share what it doesn’t have access to. The data moves directly from your iPhone to your Apple Watch without ever touching Apple’s servers. So when the DMA says third-party accessories must get the same interoperability features, Apple faces an impossible choice.
privacy-nightmare”>The privacy nightmare
Think about what’s in your Wi-Fi history for a second. Every coffee shop, airport, hotel, workplace, and friend’s house you’ve ever connected to. That data creates a detailed map of your life patterns. Now imagine if Apple had to provide that to any third-party device maker who wanted it. Companies like Meta could instantly build behavioral profiles based on your movement patterns. Did you connect to a medical clinic’s Wi-Fi six months ago? That’s valuable targeting data. And once they have it, there’s nothing in the DMA preventing them from storing and analyzing it forever.
Apple’s solution
So Apple took what seems like the only reasonable path: if they can’t provide historical Wi-Fi data to third parties (because they don’t have it), and the DMA requires equal treatment, then they have to remove the feature for everyone in the EU. It’s a classic case of regulatory requirements creating unintended consequences. The system still works for future networks when devices are together, but that initial setup experience becomes significantly more manual. Basically, EU users lose a convenience feature because the alternative would be a privacy disaster.
Bigger picture
This is exactly the kind of collateral damage that happens when regulations meet complex technical systems. The DMA aims to create fair competition, but it’s forcing Apple to dismantle features that were designed with privacy as the core principle. And let’s be honest – how many third-party device makers actually need your complete Wi-Fi history? This feels like regulation creating problems rather than solving them. The EU gets a less convenient experience, and nobody really wins except maybe data-hungry companies who’d love access to that information. Sometimes the road to hell really is paved with good intentions.
