EU Compliance: iOS 26.3 Adds Notification Forwarding to Third-Party Wearables, Bypassing Apple Watch

In the latest iOS 26.3 beta, Apple has introduced a new feature called Notification Forwarding, which allows an iPhone to automatically relay incoming notifications to third-party wearable devices. When this option is enabled, notifications are no longer forwarded to an Apple Watch.

In practice, this feature is available only within the European Union and represents a concession by Apple to comply with EU regulatory requirements. Previously, notifications received on an iPhone were forwarded by default only to a paired Apple Watch, leaving smartwatches from other brands unable to receive them. Third-party wearables could partially work around this limitation by obtaining user authorization to read notifications over Bluetooth, allowing their companion apps to display all iPhone notifications on a watch or fitness band.

As a result, the EU-only scope of the feature may not have a dramatic functional impact. The key distinction lies in privacy control. With Apple’s official Notification Forwarding, users can selectively forward notifications from specific apps to third-party devices. By contrast, many third-party wearable solutions require blanket access to all notifications, which can raise potential privacy concerns.

According to Apple, Notification Forwarding is currently limited to EU users and allows them to choose which apps’ notifications are shared. Once forwarded, notifications include both the app name and the full message content on the target device.

The underlying reason for this change stems from the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which obliges Apple to provide third-party smartwatches and wearable devices with access to notifications and features previously reserved for the Apple Watch. Faced with these legal requirements, Apple has implemented Notification Forwarding to avoid regulatory penalties.

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