EU iPhone Users Get AirPods-Like Pairing and Notification Forwarding for Third-Party Wearables in iOS 26.5

iOS 26.5 introduces respective interoperability changes for third-party wearables, which means European iPhone users person entree to caller capabilities erstwhile utilizing non-Apple accessories.


To comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple is letting third-party wearables entree immoderate features that person historically been constricted to the Apple Watch and AirPods.

• Proximity pairing - Third-party earbuds are capable to usage proximity pairing to link to an iPhone, akin to the AirPods. Bringing a acceptable of earbuds that enactment the diagnostic adjacent an iPhone volition initiate an AirPods-like one-tap pairing process, truthful third-party wearables similar earbuds volition nary longer necessitate aggregate steps to pair.


• iPhone notifications - Third-party accessories similar smartwatches are capable to person notifications from the iPhone, and users are capable to presumption and respond to them. Interactive notifications from the iPhone person been constricted to the Apple Watch, portion third-party wearables person lone been capable to show read-only notifications. Notifications tin lone beryllium forwarded to a azygous connected instrumentality astatine a time, truthful turning connected notifications for a third-party wearable disables notifications connected Apple Watch.


• Live Activities - Live Activities from the iPhone tin beryllium displayed connected a third-party wearable, akin to however Live Activities are shown connected an Apple Watch.

Accessory makers volition request to adhd enactment for the interoperability updates, truthful they whitethorn not beryllium disposable close away. Third-party TVs, smartwatches, and headphones volition beryllium capable to usage the features.

Apple has been investigating the interoperability changes successful betas for the past respective months, starting with iOS 26.3, but they're disposable for each EU users with the motorboat of iOS 26.5.

Apple updated its Developer Program License Agreement to bespeak the EU changes. Forwarded notifications and Live Activities cannot beryllium utilized for advertising, profiling, grooming models, oregon monitoring location. Forwarded accusation can't beryllium sent to immoderate different app oregon instrumentality too the authorized people accessory, nor tin it beryllium modified successful a mode that "materially changes the meaning."

Expanded enactment for third-party wearables is constricted to iPhone users successful the European Union with an Apple relationship acceptable to an EU state oregon region.

Apple has warned that the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is forcing it to marque "concerning changes" to its products and services successful the EU, and exposing customers to caller risks portion besides disrupting the mode that Apple products enactment together. In September, Apple urged European regulators to scrap the DMA, and successful November, it shared a study it commissioned that recovered the DMA has not resulted successful little prices for consumers.
This article, "EU iPhone Users Get AirPods-Like Pairing and Notification Forwarding for Third-Party Wearables successful iOS 26.5" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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