Major iOS 26 features will not initially launch in the European Union. Apple will hold back on them due to regulatory concerns in the region.
iPhone and Mac users in Europe already miss out on iPhone Mirroring, one of the best features to debut with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia last year.
EU iPhone users could miss out on some iOS 26 features
Apple delayed the release of Apple Intelligence in the European Union last year due to similar privacy concerns. Initially, the company warned it would not bring its AI suite in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia to Europe. But in April, the company pushed Apple Intelligence live to its EU customers.
However, Apple never launched macOS Sequoia’s iPhone Mirroring in the European Union due to the Digital Markets Act. And this won’t change even with the release of macOS Tahoe this year. But that’s not it, as Apple users in Europe also will miss out on several new features in iOS 26.
One of them is the “visited places” functionality in Apple Maps, which keeps a record of the places you visit. The company is also weighing the regulatory risks of bringing other features to the European Union, reports The Wall Street Journal.
“We’ve already had to make the decision to delay the release of products and features, we announced this month for our EU customers,” said Kyle Andeer, vice president of Apple’s legal team, during a Monday workshop with EU officials and developers in Brussels. Andeer added that opening up Apple’s ecosystem to competitors could pose a security risk.
Apple plays it safe due to the Digital Markets Act
The EU’s Digital Markets Act has become a major hurdle for Apple in rolling out new iOS and macOS features. Bringing certain features to the European Union could force the company to open the platform to third-party apps and services. This goes against Apple’s walled-garden approach, which he company has fiercely guarded over the years.
