In the latest iOS 26.5 released to European users, Apple has opened up a number of functions for third-party wearable devices that were previously limited to its own Apple Watch and AirPods to meet the compliance requirements of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. This means that in the EU, users who use iPhone with non-Apple brand headphones, smart watches and other wearable devices will have new capabilities that are closer to Apple’s own ecological integration experience.
In terms of connection experience, iOS 26.5 allows third-party headphones to use a "distance pairing" mechanism similar to AirPods for the first time. Headphones that support this feature only need to be brought close to the iPhone, and a one-click pairing interface similar to AirPods will pop up on the screen, eliminating the need to go through multiple steps in system settings to complete the Bluetooth connection.
In terms of notification experience, Apple has opened up iPhone notification forwarding and interaction capabilities to third-party smart watches and other devices. In the past, third-party wearable devices often could only display read-only notifications, while interactive notifications were exclusive to Apple Watch; in iOS 26.5, third-party devices can not only receive notifications from iPhone, but users can also view and act on these devices. It should be noted that notification forwarding can still only be directed to one device at the same time. Once notification forwarding is turned on for a third-party wearable device, the notification function on the Apple Watch will be disabled.
In addition, iOS 26.5 also allows third-party wearable devices to display "Live Activities" from the iPhone, similar to how the Apple Watch displays dynamic information such as timing, travel, and exercise. The relevant expansion capabilities will not only apply to smart watches, but will also be open to a variety of accessories including third-party TVs, headphones, etc. However, manufacturers need to proactively add support for these new interoperable features to their products, so the actual implementation time may vary depending on the brand and model.
Apple began testing these interoperability updates internally as early as the iOS 26.3 beta, and after months of testing, they were officially rolled out to all EU users with iOS 26.5. At the same time, Apple also updated the Developer Program License Agreement to clarify the boundaries of the use of new capabilities in the form of terms. The new regulations require that forwarded notifications and real-time activity data must not be used for advertising, user profiling, model training or location monitoring. Additionally, the information forwarded via iPhone may not be transferred to other apps or devices other than the authorized target accessory, nor may it be modified in any way that "substantially changes its meaning."
This extended support is currently limited to iPhone users within the European Union, and the country or region of the Apple account must be set to one of the EU member states before it can be used. Apple has publicly expressed its concerns about the Digital Markets Act many times before, saying that the bill forces it to make "worrying changes" to its products and services in the EU, which not only breaks its integrated ecological experience, but may also expose users to new security and privacy risks. In September 2025, Apple called on EU regulators to withdraw the bill, and later released a study it had commissioned in November, noting that the regulations had not significantly reduced consumer prices as expected.