iPhone to Share WiFi credentials with accessories, But Watch Faces Restrictions Under New EU Rule
Apple will soon allow iPhones to share WiFi network credentials with connected accessories like headphones and smart glasses, a change driven by upcoming European Union regulations aimed at fostering interoperability. Tho, the Apple Watch will not receive this functionality, requiring users to manually enter WiFi passwords directly on the device even when paired with an iPhone that already knows the network.
The forthcoming feature, detailed in a report by heise Online, will enable an iPhone to automatically share WiFi access details with third-party hardware – such as meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses – when the devices are in close proximity during setup. This addresses an EU mandate pushing for greater connectivity between devices. Apple clarifies that only the new WiFi access data is shared; no ancient WiFi connection details is transmitted to accessory manufacturers. Furthermore, Apple maintains it has no access to the WiFi credentials themselves, which remain locally encrypted on iPhones and protected via end-to-end encryption when synced with iCloud.
