iOS 26 is being trimmed for the EU: Apple will delay the launch of a number of features due to DMA

Apple has announced that some of the iOS 26 innovations will not be available in Europe due to the requirements of the European Digital Markets Act (DMA). Instead of a full release, EU users will have to wait for the resolution of contentious compatibility and security issues.

What exactly not to expect in iOS 26 for Europe

The context was explained by Apple Legal Vice President Kyle Andeer during a briefing with regulators in Brussels. He said features such as "Visited Places" - a tool for encrypted tracking of user movements in Apple Maps - will not appear in the European version of iOS 26 this autumn. The company claims that DMA requires excessive opening of interfaces and access to data, which carries privacy and security risks.

In addition, other chips may be delayed: iPhone Mirroring (iOS control from macOS) and Live Activities on macOS - technologies that have been questioned in the EU because of DMA.

The reason for the restrictions

• The DMA seeks to increase competition by requiring major players to open up their platforms
• Apple believes this increases security risks by exposing internal interfaces to third-party services.
• Regulators disagree: they argue that security is not a reason to block competitors' access - companies must find balanced solutions

What this means for users

EU residents will have a stripped-down version of iOS 26 - without the handy Apple Intelligence features and advanced mapping tools. Apple is investigating which chips to delay and promises to bring them back as soon as the DMA issues are ironed out.

This is not the first time: Apple released certain features (App Store, browsers, NFC, USB-C) later or only under pressure from EU requirements.

Source: WSJ