EU final sprint for Apple: iPhone becomes unintentionally more open
Just in time, Apple has implemented the first interoperability requirements from the EU Commission. This makes iOS and iPadOS a bit more compatible.
(Image: Sebastian Trepesch / heise medien)
The operating systems iOS and iPadOS, classified as gatekeepers by the EU, must open up further to other products and manufacturers. Apple has met the first interoperability requirements dictated by Brussels under the Digital Markets Act just before the end of the year. The company seems to be fulfilling all the requirements it wants to get rid of with all its might: Regulators rejected an accelerated objection procedure, and Apple's appeal against the interoperability requirements is still pending before the General Court of the European Union (EuG).
What is now changing in iOS 26
One of the central requirements is evident in the first beta of iOS 26.3, where the new function for "message forwarding" is integrated. In the future, this will make it possible to receive and manage iPhone notifications in full on a device other than just the Apple Watch. Previously, iOS forwarded notifications via Bluetooth, but only to a very limited extent. This is frustrating for wearers of other watches, such as Garmin & Co. The companion apps of such accessories are also to receive extended permissions for background operation on the iPhone in order to transfer data quickly. There are often annoying connection interruptions here at the moment.
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Previously, Apple had already set up a new "Wi-Fi Infrastructure" framework, via which apps can share Wi-Fi access data stored on the iPhone with an accessory – this was also previously reserved for the Apple Watch. Here, however, Apple seems to have removed a function in iOS 26.2 that previously synchronized the entire Wi-Fi history directly with watchOS. For the also specified "High-Bandwidth Peer-to-Peer Wi-Fi Connection", the manufacturer has already taken care of it: Since iOS 26, the Wi-Fi Aware standard has been supported. AirDrop has apparently also switched to this, which apparently enabled Google to enable convenient AirDrop data exchange with Android for the first time.
EU requirements also for iOS 27
By the end of the year, Apple must also support "Proximity-triggering pairing" for other manufacturers. This is a convenient pairing process for which it is sufficient to hold an accessory close to the iPhone. In addition, the company must further open up the NFC controller so that apps can transfer payment data to a smartwatch or another NFC device via it.
For 2026, the EU Commission is demanding further opening steps: This includes allowing AirDrop alternatives to be integrated just as prominently into the operating system – for example, into the sharing menu. With iOS 27, Apple must also better support "foreign" media casting; it should receive the same rights and comfort functions as AirPlay at the operating system level. And Apple can no longer keep the fast audio switching between its own devices, known from AirPods, to itself: Other headphone manufacturers can probably integrate this from the second half of 2026.
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