Overview
- New proximity pairing in the iOS 26.3 beta lets non‑Apple earbuds and accessories initiate one‑tap setup by bringing them near an iPhone or iPad, available only in the EU.
- Notification Forwarding allows iPhone alerts to appear on third‑party smartwatches, limited to one accessory at a time and disabling Apple Watch notifications when active.
- Apple’s built‑in Transfer to Android flow enables wireless migration of photos, messages, notes, apps, settings and a phone number, with sensitive data such as Health data, Bluetooth pairings and locked notes excluded for now.
- The European Commission says these interoperability features follow DMA requirements, are available for developers to test now and will be fully available across Europe in 2026.
- iOS 26.3 is currently in developer and public beta, with a broader release expected around late January or early 2026, while some features may continue rolling out later next year.