- iOS 26.5 is rolling out to our iPhones
- Includes support for new third-party wearables for features previously exclusive to Apple Watch and AirPods.
- This is only available in the EU for now.
Apple’s latest iOS 26.5 update brings some exclusive AirPods and Apple Watch features to third-party headphones and wearables, but only for phones in the EU.
This is done so Apple can better comply with the EU Digital Markets Act, which means Apple has to give up some of the software benefits that were exclusive to its own hardware and bring them to third-party smartwatches such as those made by Garmin, Amazfit and Huawei, and third-party headphones and earbuds.
For smartwatch users, the biggest update will be the ability to respond to message notifications with reactions or replies. Currently, you can only see iOS notifications on third-party technology, while Apple Watch users can send a response via the notification pop-up. With this iOS 26.5 update, that should begin to change, providing other smartwatch manufacturers to update their hardware to support the new capabilities.
Just keep in mind that your phone can only forward notifications to one device at a time, so if for some reason you have an Apple Watch and an alternative smartwatch, you’ll need to choose which one you prefer to support.
Back in iOS 26.5, you’ll also get a second notification change with third-party support for your iPhone’s live activities: the real-time notifications found on your iPhone’s lock screen or in Dynamic Island, like a sports score or the distance of your Uber driver. These live updates can also appear in your Apple Watch’s Smart Stack, and could now appear on your other smart wearable device, again, if the manufacturer adds support.
More to come?
Not forgetting the headphone update, iOS 26.5 also adds proximity pairing support for non-Apple headphones.
This is the feature that makes it a one-touch process to pair the AirPods with your iPhone when you start setting them up nearby. Thanks to the update, third-party headsets can begin to support this simplified setup process.
While none of these new tools seem revolutionary, they remove the friction that comes with choosing a third-party option over Apple technology, making it a fairer choice among the technology options out there, so this update should be taken as a big win if you live in the EU.
As for people living outside the EU, don’t expect a similar update. While EU regulation has seen Apple make global changes, such as implementing USB-C charging, digital rules are much easier to geoblock. We’ve seen this before with App Store regulations, and I hope Apple doesn’t want to tear down its walled garden any more than the law requires.
What’s more, Apple has argued that the EU Digital Markets Act should be scrapped and has warned that there are risks to users if it is forced to change the way its products interact with each other and with third parties.
For now we’ll just have to look longingly at the EU-only update and hope our own governments introduce similar rules, despite Apple’s protests.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
