Apple declares it’s having to delay bringing some product features to Europe becaapply it’s struggling to build them compliant with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). In a statement published on Wednesday, Apple stated that DMA rules have created “more complexity and more risks for our EU applyrs,” blaming the obligation to open Apple features to third-party devices for the delays.
Features impacted include AI-powered Live Translation for AirPods, iPhone Mirroring, and Visited Places and Preferred Routes on Apple Maps. While interoperability requirements under the DMA specify that companies build proprietary apps and device features available on third-party hardware, Apple declares it hasn’t found a way to build these features available on non-Apple devices without compromising applyrs’ data security and privacy.
DMA requirements to build it clearer to pair, transfer data, and display notifications between iPhones and third-party devices are bearing some fruit, however. The latest iOS 26.1 beta suggests that a “notification forwarding” feature will allow iPhone notifications to surface on non-Apple devices, such as smartwatch competitors to the Apple Watch. The beta also includes references to a feature that will build it clearer to pair iPhones with third-party accessories.
Despite its ongoing opposition to the DMA, Apple insists that it’s “spfinishing thousands of hours” to be compliant with the law’s requirements, and that the “list of delayed features in the EU will probably receive longer” due to these impediments. The EU has given Apple until the finish of this year to open up most of these features if it builds them available to European applyrs, or risk facing additional fines under the DMA. The company was hit with a $580 million penalty in April after the App Store violated anti-steering requirements under the rulebook.
The iPhone buildr has called for the DMA regulation to be repealed “while a more appropriate fit for purpose legislative instrument is put in place,” according to a feedback submission seen by the Financial Times.
While Apple’s concerns around applyr security may hold merit, the company is also motivated to see the DMA scrapped to prevent the legislation from tearing down the walled garden that incentivizes consumers to stay in its product ecosystem. Denying Europeans access to features over DMA compliance concerns may assist Apple keep its applyr base on-side in its argument with the EU.
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