iOS: Apple warns against opening important interfaces by the EU
iPhones will soon have to work better with hardware from other manufacturers, the EU Commission has ordered. Apple wants to prevent this.
(Image: Sebastian Trepesch)
iOS is to become more compatible with devices from other manufacturers. To this end, the EU Commission dictated in detail in March which functions and interfaces Apple must open up in the iPhone operating system within the next year. The company has now lodged an appeal against the decision of the competition authorities with the General Court of the European Union (EGC); the submission was not publicly accessible on Monday.
The EU Commission is creating "an inappropriate, costly process" and inhibiting innovation, an Apple spokeswoman said in a statement, explaining the reasons for the move. The interoperability requirements would allow "data-hungry companies" to gain "access to sensitive information", which is a "massive data protection and security risk".
No more built-in benefits for Apple accessories
With iOS 19 and iOS 20 - and iOS 26 and iOS 27 respectively - Apple must open up crucial areas to enable more competition. This should enable other manufacturers to offer similar functions in conjunction with iPhones that were previously reserved for Apple devices such as the Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro. This includes, for example, other smartwatches being able to display iPhone messages in full and reply to them directly. This is currently only possible on the Apple Watch.
Ultimately, all special functions for the company's own accessories that Apple has kept under wraps will have to be open to other manufacturers in future. These include the fast audio switching between multiple devices known from the AirPods, streaming content, transferring files and convenient commissioning of the accessories. Apple must also make the exchange of payment information via NFC and the transfer of Wi-Fi passwords interoperable with solidly documented frameworks and interfaces – within the next 12 to 18 months.
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Apple warns of "worse experience"
Apple considers the sharing of messages and access to the history of saved Wi-Fi networks to be particularly problematic, as this could provide other companies with deep insights. Ultimately, however, it is up to the user to decide whether to give an app permission for such data access, as has long been the case with location sharing and access to other sensitive data.
The requirements "will significantly restrict our ability to offer innovative products and functions in Europe and ultimately lead to a poorer experience for our European customers", the company warned. The EU Commission's so-called specification requirements are legally binding, and Apple must implement the first functions by the end of the year, including an option to access iOS notifications, support for the Wi-Fi Aware 4.0 standard and automatic Wi-Fi connections for accessories. Two new functions introduced last year, including iPhone mirroring on Macs, have so far been blocked by Apple for EU users.
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