European Union

With the release of iOS 18.1 beta 2, Apple has apparently opened up access to Apple Intelligence for English speakers located in the European Union, something that was not possible in previous versions. One of the reasons Apple limited region access to Apple Intelligence was that it only supports US English. Another reason Apple Intelligence was previously not available in the EU was because ...

Despite pushback from Apple, the European Parliament in January voted overwhelmingly for new rules to establish a common charging standard for mobile device makers across the European Union. This article explores what form the EU laws might ultimately take and how they could affect Apple device users in Europe and elsewhere. What Exactly is the EU Calling For? To reduce cost, electronic...

As part of its interoperability compliance in the EU, Apple has been working on changes to iOS that allow AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables on iPhone. In the iOS 26.5 beta released on Monday, Apple added Live Activities forwarding, and the company has now revised its Developer Program License Agreement with new rules on how the forwarding features should...

For the last several months, Apple has been working on interoperability changes that are set to be implemented in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple is developing AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables. Testing on these features started back in iOS 26.3 and continued in iOS 26.4, but the options have not yet launched. Apple is ...

A coalition of Europe's biggest broadcasters is pushing the EU to bring smart TV platforms like Apple TV and virtual assistants like Siri under the bloc's toughest tech regulation, reports Reuters. The Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT), whose members include Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount+, and Sky, sent a letter on Monday to EU antitrust...

The AppleCare One trademark was today registered with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), suggesting Apple's subscription for customers to cover multiple devices with a single plan could soon be expanding outside the United States. Apple launched AppleCare One in the U.S. in July 2025. The plan starts at $19.99 per month and covers up to three products, with additional...

In October 2025, Apple notified the European Commission that it would be acquiring invrs.io LLC's sole employee, and certain assets from the company. Following a four-month waiting period, the European Commission published this information this week. That sole employee appears to be Martin Schubert, according to his LinkedIn profile. Schubert founded invrs.io in 2023 to advance AI-guided...

The European Commission today said it found that Apple Maps and Apple Ads should not be designated as "gateways" under the EU's Digital Markets Act. In a press release, the European Commission said that Apple Maps and Apple Ads are not big enough individually to qualify as "important gateways between business users and end users," and therefore the platforms will not be subject to stricter...

Apple claims the European Commission is refusing to let to implement App Store changes, instead using "political delay tactics" to levy unfair investigations and fines. Apple provided the statement to Bloomberg in response to MacPaw's decision to shut down alternative iOS app marketplace Setapp Mobile in the EU because of the complicated business terms that it has to deal with. The European...

Ukraine-based developer MacPaw is set to close Setapp Mobile, its alternative app store for iOS devices in the European Union, next month. The service will officially cease operating on February 16, 2026. Setapp Mobile launched in open beta in September 2024. In a support page, MacPaw said Setapp Mobile is being closed because of app marketplaces' "still-evolving and complex business...

The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...

The Trump administration is pressuring the European Union to cut down on regulations that impact tech companies like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta. The Office of the United States Trade Representative today posted a message to the European Union on social media, threatening retaliation if the EU continues to target U.S. companies. The post says the U.S. will implement fees and restrictions ...

Epic Games launched its mobile store for iPhone and iPad in the EU last year, and it has since established a popular program of weekly game giveaways. This week, it is making one of the most awarded indie action games of recent years free to download for a limited time. Dead Cells is an action-platformer from developer Motion Twin that combines elements of traditional side-scrolling combat...

The simplified smartphone switching Apple and Google are adopting is an example of how the Digital Markets Act (DMA) benefits users and developers, the European Commission said today. Apple and Google are making it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, adding an option to transfer data from another smartphone during the device setup process. Apple and Google are...

Apple is not going to be able to escape a class-action antitrust lawsuit over anticompetitive App Store fees in the Netherlands, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) said today. The decision could see Apple facing millions of euros in damages, and it sets a precedent for similar lawsuits in other European countries (via Reuters). Apple could ultimately have to pay up to an estimated 637...

The EU has begun looking into whether Apple Maps and Apple Ads should be designated as "gatekeepers" and subject to greater regulation (via Reuters). The App Store, iOS, and Safari were classified as gatekeepers two years ago, triggering strict requirements in the EU such as support for alternative app marketplaces and third-party payment options. Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), any...

The European Commission (EC) today announced a new digital package that relaxes some of the rules implemented with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that has protected European consumers since 2018. Part of the change to the GDPR includes a modernization of cookie rules that should result in fewer pop-up cookie agreements on websites. The EC says that users will be able to...

WhatsApp is close to rolling out third-party chat support across the European Union, as part its compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA). WhatsApp parent company Meta is required by the DMA to make its messaging platform interoperable with other third-party services, and Meta says the first apps that WhatsApp will support are BirdyChat and Haiket, following successful testing...

Apple today shared a study commissioned from Analysis Group [PDF] that looks at App Store pricing changes before and after reduced fees took effect in the EU in March 2024 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The report shows that the DMA has not resulted in lower prices for consumers. In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that the DMA has reduced privacy and security without the outcomes...

Apple recently sent a letter to the European Commission (EC), criticizing recent inquiries into whether the App Store complies with the Digital Services Act (DSA) amid the separate Digital Markets Act requirements that Apple has been required to put in place. The Commission asked Apple for information on how it locates fraudulent content, what it does to reduce the risk of financial scams in ...

Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...

Apple spent more money lobbying EU officials in 2025 than in any previous year, according to a new dataset from Corporate Europe Observatory, which reports that Apple now allocates roughly €7 million ($8.2 million) annually to influence European regulation. Apple is identified by the report as one of the ten largest tech-sector lobby spenders in Europe. Those ten companies together account ...