Alright, so here's the deal: Apple's making a change to how iPhones and Apple Watches play together in the European Union. Apparently, with the arrival of iOS 26.2, that handy feature where your iPhone automatically shares Wi-Fi passwords with your Apple Watch is going away. I know, it's a bummer, but let's talk about why.

This all boils down to the European Commission's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Think of it as the EU's way of trying to make tech companies play a little nicer with each other. They want Apple to open up its iPhone Wi-Fi hardware to other companies by the end of 2025. It sounds like Apple isn't too thrilled about this, and instead of opening things up, they're just disabling the automatic Wi-Fi syncing feature for EU users.

Now, how much will this actually affect you? Well, probably not a whole lot if you usually have your iPhone nearby. Your Apple Watch will still connect to Wi-Fi when your phone is around. The hassle comes when you're out and about without your phone and want to connect to Wi-Fi. You'll have to manually enter the password on your watch. It's a minor inconvenience, sure, but still something to keep in mind.

Apple has voiced concerns that complying with these EU rules could put user data at risk, potentially giving other companies access to sensitive information. They've even called out Meta, saying they're making unreasonable requests that could compromise user security. It's a bit of a standoff, really.

Apple even filed an appeal against the EU's interoperability rules, arguing that they shouldn't be forced to make iOS so compatible with competing products. So, while this change might seem small, it's part of a bigger battle between Apple and EU regulators. I'm not taking sides, but I believe that it's important to understand the reason for these changes.