EU iPhone users get AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables in iOS 26.5

iOS 26.5 introduces several interoperability changes for third-party wearable devices, meaning European iPhone users have access to new features when using non-Apple accessories.

To comply with EU Digital Markets Law, Apple is allowing third-party wearable devices to access certain features historically limited to Apple Watch and AirPods.

• Proximity coupling – Third-party headphones can use proximity pairing to connect to an iPhone, like AirPods. Bringing a set of earbuds that support this feature near an iPhone will initiate a one-click pairing process, similar to AirPods, so third-party wearable devices like earbuds will no longer require multiple steps to pair.
• iPhone notifications – Third-party accessories such as smartwatches can receive notifications from iPhone, and users can view and respond to them. The iPhone’s interactive notifications were limited to the Apple Watch, while third-party wearables were only able to display read-only notifications. Notifications can only be forwarded to one connected device at a time, so enabling notifications for a third-party wearable disables notifications on Apple Watch.
• Live Activities – iPhone live activity can be viewed on a third-party wearable device, similar to how live activity is viewed on an Apple Watch.

Accessory makers will need to add support for interoperability updates, so they may not be available immediately. Third-party TVs, smartwatches, and headphones will be able to use these features.

Apple has been testing the interoperability changes in beta releases over the past few months, starting with iOS 26.3, but they are available to all EU users with the launch of iOS 26.5.

Apple has updated its Developer Program License Agreement to reflect changes in the EU. Forwarded notifications and live activities may not be used for advertising, profiling, pattern training, or location monitoring. The transferred information cannot be sent to any other application or device other than the authorized target accessory, nor can it be modified in a way that “materially changes the meaning.”

Expanded support for third-party wearables is limited to iPhone users in the European Union with an Apple account set to an EU country or region.

Apple has warned that the Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires it to make “concerning changes” to its products and services in the EU, exposing customers to new risks while disrupting the way Apple products work together. In September, Apple urged European regulators to abandon the DMA, and in November shared a study it had commissioned that found the DMA had not led to lower prices for consumers.