Messages, AirDrop, audio switching: Apple must open up iOS now says the EU
Other app stores were just the beginning: Apple will soon have to release further central iOS functions for competitors' devices. The company warns.
Apple convenience functions – here with AirPods – should also be allowed to use third-party manufacturers in future.
(Image: Sebastian Trepesch)
A bombshell just before Christmas: The EU Commission has published a far-reaching draft of interoperability requirements for iOS and iPadOS. This explains in detail which basic functions of the operating systems Apple may no longer restrict to its own "connected devices" such as Apple Watches and AirPods. The aim is to enable other manufacturers of smartwatches, headphones and VR headsets to offer similar functions in conjunction with iPhones that were previously reserved for Apple's own devices.
Messaging, data transfer, setup and more
Specifically, this concerns the important areas of interactivity, data transfer and device setup, where Apple accessories usually excel with particular convenience. According to the EU Commission's draft, Apple must ensure that other smartwatches, for example, receive messages in full and that they can be answered directly – as is usual with the Apple Watch –. Manufacturers' iPhone apps should also receive extended rights for background activities, for example to download data and transfer it to the smartwatch –. Here, too, there are currently restrictions in the interaction with watches from other manufacturers. Other headphone manufacturers will also be able to quickly switch audio between devices, as is the case with AirPods.
To improve data transfer, Apple must also ensure interoperability with AirDrop, AirPlay, Wi-Fi direct connections, media casting and the detection of devices in the immediate vicinity of the iPhone. The pairing of AirPods should also be open to third parties. Apple is also no longer allowed to reserve functions such as the convenient transfer of Wi-Fi passwords to its own connected devices for its own hardware. With regard to NFC, the EU Commission is also demanding a further opening.
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Apple must open all of this up to third-party manufacturers via "well-documented frameworks and interfaces" – and free of charge, writes the EU Commission. Apple is also clearly prohibited from restricting this technically or contractually and from deterring users with excessive warning messages, for example.
The Commission has now called on companies and users to provide feedback on the planned measures, which are prescribed by the new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). The specific provisions could still change before they become mandatory for Apple in spring 2025. Apple already had to open up iOS to alternative app stores in the spring, and iPadOS has now also been opened up. From iOS 18.2, there is a central setting for standard apps. For the first time, other wallets are also allowed to access the iPhone's NFC interface. Browsers with their own engine are now also permitted, but no manufacturer offers this yet.
Apple warns – with a side blow against Meta
The iPhone manufacturer feels it is being treated unfairly: Apple is the only company that "has to share its innovations with competitors", it says in a statement. As with previous openings of its platform enforced by the EU, the company warns of possible data protection violations: Without the right protection mechanisms, releasing the interfaces would also allow "malicious actors" to steal personal user data.
According to Apple, its competitor Meta has already submitted 15 interoperability requests and wants in-depth access to iOS. This could give apps such as WhatsApp and Instagram extended insight and tracking options. A Meta spokesperson denied the accusations to Reuters: "What Apple actually means is that they don't believe in interoperability".
(lbe)
