Apple Testing AirPods-Like Pairing, Live Activities and Notification Forwarding for Third-Party Wearables in EU With iOS 26.5

For the past respective months, Apple has been working connected interoperability changes that are acceptable to beryllium implemented successful the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple is processing AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables.


Testing connected these features started backmost successful iOS 26.3 and continued successful iOS 26.4, but the options person not yet launched. Apple is inactive investigating them successful iOS 26.5, and some notification forwarding and proximity pairing for wearables are included successful the iOS 26.5 beta. Today's update besides appears to see a caller diagnostic forwarding Live Activities to a third-party wearable device, truthful Live Activities volition beryllium included nether the notification forwarding umbrella.

Third-party wearables similar earbuds volition beryllium capable to usage proximity pairing, akin to AirPods. Bringing a acceptable of earbuds adjacent to an iPhone oregon iPad volition initiate an AirPods-like one-tap pairing process, truthful pairing third-party earbuds and different wearables volition nary longer necessitate aggregate steps.

Apple is besides readying to let third-party accessories similar smartwatches to person notifications from the iPhone. Users volition beryllium capable to presumption and respond to incoming notifications, which is simply a capableness presently constricted to the Apple Watch. Notifications are lone capable to beryllium forwarded to 1 connected instrumentality astatine a time, and turning connected notifications for a third-party instrumentality disables notifications connected an Apple Watch.

Apple has not provided details connected erstwhile these features volition motorboat successful the European Union, but the European Commission said that Apple volition rotation them retired successful Europe successful 2026. Developers tin trial third-party TVs, smartwatches, and headphones with the caller options.

The notification forwarding and proximity pairing features are lone going to beryllium disposable to instrumentality makers and users successful the EU.
This article, "Apple Testing AirPods-Like Pairing, Live Activities and Notification Forwarding for Third-Party Wearables successful EU With iOS 26.5" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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