The move to disable automatic Wi-Fi syncing is reportedly a response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act<\/p>\n
Apple is planning to remove a long-standing Wi-Fi convenience feature for Apple Watch<\/a> users in the European Union.<\/p>\n The upcoming iOS 26.2 update will reportedly disable automatic Wi-Fi syncing between the iPhone and Apple Watch for users in the EU, according to French publication Numerama<\/a>.<\/p>\n If it does indeed go through, the change will have a direct impact on the seamlessness of the Apple Watch experience. Currently, an iPhone automatically and securely shares its known Wi-Fi credentials with a paired Apple Watch<\/a>.<\/p>\n This allows the watch to connect to those networks independently, maintaining a data connection for things like iMessage, Siri, and app updates even when the iPhone is out of Bluetooth range.<\/p>\n Following the update, this automatic sync will no longer occur. While the watch will still connect to networks when the iPhone is nearby, EU users will likely have to manually enter Wi-Fi passwords on the watch to connect to networks independently, a significantly more cumbersome process.<\/p>\n Why this change might arrive soon<\/p>\n