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Apple Adds Notification Forwarding to iOS 26.3 Beta for Third‑Party Wearables

The change responds to EU Digital Markets Act requirements, reflecting U.S. antitrust pressure.

Overview

  • The first iOS 26.3 beta introduces a Notification Forwarding setting under Settings > Notifications to send iPhone alerts to a non‑Apple accessory.
  • Only one accessory can receive alerts at a time, and Apple Watch notifications are paused while forwarding is enabled.
  • Users can choose which apps may forward alerts, and Apple notes that forwarded notifications include the app name and full message content.
  • Apple frames the feature as sensitive for privacy and security, and it is built on a new AccessoryNotifications framework that is present but not yet publicly documented.
  • Coverage links the move to compliance with the EU’s DMA and DOJ scrutiny of Apple’s limits on third‑party wearables, with GSMArena reporting the beta access is EU‑only for now.