The EU’s struggle with Apple to make its operating system interoperable with Android does not stop. Apple lost the battle for both the Lightning port and the app stores, and now the EU is proposing some of the measures it wants to see to change iOS forever.

The commission recommended major changes to the operating system. Changes that will bring it ever closer to iOS, but in some cases will represent a sharp turn in Apple’s own philosophy.

These preliminary conclusions have been proposed for now, and both parties are required to present their views on two sets of measures (one by Apple, the other by the European Union) by January 9, 2025.

Changes in the notification system. One of the EU’s first suggestions for iOS is to make major changes to the notification system. One of the commission’s criticisms points to the fact that many do not provide full information when using third-party accessories such as smartwatches.

Changes are needed to the push notification service and the response messages themselves. So you want devices connected to the iPhone to have full access to these notifications, even if they’re not in the Apple ecosystem.

Open connection properties. AirDrop, Bluetooth, automatic WiFi connections, AirPlay. The EU wants Apple to open its connections to third parties, including basic features like AirDrop. He also wants devices to be able to automatically switch Bluetooth connections and even enable WiFi automatically.

Result: changes in the background. These changes to connectivity are part of an even more significant change. Allowing applications to control connections means giving wings to background executions.

One of the historical features of iOS relates precisely to this. For better or worse, it is the system that restricts background connections the most. On Android, you have free rein, on iOS, everything is more controlled.

For users, these changes will be bittersweet. Things like turning on notifications are undeniably positive: using third-party accessories with the iPhone is very, very tedious.

But on the other hand, unlocking the background is not as simple as the EU suggests. Much of iOS’s OS-level stability, security, and energy efficiency comes from this side. Being more closed to backgrounds has its limitations, but it makes the system more effective.

Time will tell what changes Apple proposes and what the 2025 iOS will be like.

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