It seems the “walled garden” that Apple has long prided itself on is beginning to open its gates slightly—not out of a love for change, but because the European Union’s strict regulations are no joke. In an interesting move, Apple has begun testing features that were, until recently, exclusive to its own products, such as the magical pairing process for AirPods and advanced notification delivery on the Apple Watch, making them available for wearable devices from competing brands.
Magical Pairing Is No Longer Exclusive to AirPods
Remember that moment when you open your AirPods case next to your iPhone and that beautiful animation appears, asking you to connect with a single tap? Well, this feature, which used to make us feel “special” as Apple product owners, will soon be available for third-party earbuds in the European Union. Instead of navigating the maze of Bluetooth settings and manual searching, other manufacturers will be able to use Proximity Pairing to make the user experience just as seamless as it is with AirPods.
This change has begun to appear clearly in the beta versions of iOS 26.5, as Apple seeks to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The goal is to remove the barriers that made using non-Apple devices with an iPhone or iPad a less “magical” experience. Now, bringing any third-party headphone close to the device will trigger the instant pairing process, something we once thought was impossible in Apple’s dictionary.
Notifications and Live Activities: Third-Party Watches Get an Upgrade
But the surprises don’t stop with headphones. Apple also plans to allow third-party smartwatches to receive notifications from the iPhone in a more integrated way. Users will be able to view and respond to alerts directly from their wrists, a capability that was almost exclusively limited to the Apple Watch. The brand new addition in the iOS 26.5 update is the ability to pass “Live Activities” to these devices, meaning you might be able to track a match score or a food delivery arrival on a Samsung or Garmin watch paired with your iPhone with the same efficiency.
However, Apple hasn’t completely abandoned its nature; there is a rule stating that notifications can be forwarded to only one device at a time. So, if you enable notifications on your third-party watch, they will be automatically disabled on your Apple Watch. It’s Apple’s subtle way of saying: “You can play with others, but don’t expect me to pay as much attention to you then!”
When Will We See These Changes?
Although testing began with the iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 releases, the features have not been officially launched yet. European Commission reports indicate that Apple will roll out these updates fully in Europe during 2026. Currently, developers can test these options with third-party smart TVs, watches, and headphones to ensure they are ready.
It is unfortunate that these features are restricted only within the borders of the European Union. The rest of the world will still have to endure the boring, traditional pairing experience if they decide to stray from original Apple products. It seems geography is playing a huge role in the quality of features your device gets these days!
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