Apple Withholds iOS 18 Features in Europe, Signaling Defiance Toward Brussels
Apple has announced that several iOS 18 features will not be available to users in the European Union, highlighting ongoing tensions between the tech giant and EU regulators in Brussels over digital market rules and competition policies.
Tl;dr
A Shifting Landscape: Apple Faces European Scrutiny
As the dust settles on the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the tension between Apple and European regulators is showing no signs of easing. Designed to curb the dominance of digital giants and foster fair competition, these new rules are shaking up Apple‘s traditionally closed ecosystem across the continent. The Californian company has already rolled out significant adjustments: support for alternative app stores on iPhones, expanded compatibility with third-party payment systems via tap-to-pay, and even a shift to the USB-C port. Each of these moves marks a dramatic shift from the company’s longstanding practices.
User Experience in Europe: A Costly Compromise?
Still, these concessions come with a catch. In complying with EU requirements, Apple has cited persistent worries over device security. The practical outcome? Several highly anticipated features in the upcoming iOS 26 will be unavailable to European consumers when it launches this autumn. It’s not just iPhone users who stand to lose out: according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, some Mac owners will also miss out on functionalities like « iPhone mirroring » and « Live Activities ». At present, an official list remains elusive, but sources indicate that « Visited Places » could join those omissions as well.
The Transatlantic Ripple Effect
Interestingly, this confrontation has drawn attention beyond Europe’s borders. In the United States, policymakers are paying close attention—and perhaps feeling inspired. Congresswoman Kat Cammack of Florida recently put forward the App Store Freedom Act, a bill modeled closely after the European DMA. The proposal aims to curb what are seen as anti-competitive tactics among major digital platforms—specifically those boasting over 100 million users—casting a clear spotlight on both Google and Apple. While Android already allows users to install alternative app stores with relative ease, Apple‘s locked-down approach remains under particular scrutiny.
The Big Picture: Freedom or Fragmentation?
What emerges is less a simple tug-of-war and more an open question about consumer choice and technological innovation. On one side is increased flexibility for users; on the other, potential sacrifices in exclusive features or seamless integration. As Kyle Andeer, vice president of legal at Apple, has emphasized, these decisions aim above all to protect against « genuine threats to privacy and security ». For now, as legislative momentum builds on both sides of the Atlantic, industry watchers wonder just how far this redefinition of the global mobile app market will go.