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iPhones May Soon Work Better With Third-Party Smartwatches

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Apple may be working on new functionality that would expand what third-party smartwatches are able to do when connected to an iPhone. As noted by Macworld, iOS 26.1 code mentions a Notification Forwarding feature that could be designed for third-party watches.

iphone-17-pro-air.jpg

"Choose Which apps can send notifications to your accessory," reads one line. "Notifications can be forwarded to one accessory at a time. Notifications will not appear on Apple Watch while Notification Forwarding is turned on," reads another line.

There are also references to new accessory pairing features, such as an AccessoryExtension framework for pairing a third-party device with an iPhone.

The wording is ambiguous so there's no guarantee that it's applicable to third-party smartwatches, but the European Union's Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party smartwatches and other devices with access to notifications and other features that are normally reserved for the Apple Watch.

Apple's limited support for devices that compete with the Apple Watch is also one of the U.S. Department of Justice's key arguments in the Apple vs. DoJ antitrust case. The Department of Justice claims that Apple prevents third-party smartwatches from offering Apple Watch-like functionality by denying them the cellular connectivity options the Apple Watch has and restricting them from acting on incoming notifications.

What the DoJ has to say about smartwatch functionality is of interest because Apple has been addressing the claims in the DoJ's lawsuit in the year and a half since it was filed. The DoJ's claim that Apple suppresses cloud streaming games is no longer relevant, for example, because Apple added support for cloud streaming and apps offering mini games in iOS 17.4. The DoJ targeted Apple's delayed support for RCS, but with iOS 18, Apple implemented RCS support for better cross-platform messaging. The DoJ also took issue with Apple's refusal to allow digital payment providers to access the iPhone's NFC chip, and Apple opened up access to NFC in iOS 18.1.

If Notification Forwarding is indeed related to third-party smartwatches, it could be an EU-only function aimed at addressing the Digital Markets Act requirements in the EU, but it could also be a change that Apple plans to implement worldwide.

Article Link: iPhones May Soon Work Better With Third-Party Smartwatches
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/23/iphones-third-party-smartwatch-features/
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Don't similar options already exist? I know something like this existed years ago when I used a Garmin watch.

Apple really needs to get over the idea that notifications should only appear on one device at a time, though. I miss notifications all the time when I use an Apple Watch, because vibrations are hard to feel on a moving wrist and I don't want audio enabled on my watch. There are activities I cannot use Apple Watch for because of this, which is ridiculously stupid.
 
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This could be very helpful for the new Pebble watch. I know Eric had to jump through hoops to get messaging working on the original Pebble watch.

If this worked with more than just smartwatches, it could speed up text message integration for Rivian and other car manufacturers.
 
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Chaos215bar2 said:
Apple really needs to get over the idea that notifications should only appear on one device at a time, though.
Click to expand...
You must have some setting toggled then, when I get a call my Watch, iPhone, and Mac all start going nuts now.

This is gonna sound nuts, but I'd love some kind of “Apple Watch Shuffle.” No screen, just a band that does the basic health monitoring and does the buzz thing when I get a message. Bonus if I can put it on my ankle under a sock.
 
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MacRumors said:


Apple may be working on new functionality that would expand what third-party smartwatches are able to do when connected to an iPhone. As noted by Macworld, iOS 26.1 code mentions a Notification Forwarding feature that could be designed for third-party watches.

iphone-17-pro-air.jpg

"Choose Which apps can send notifications to your accessory," reads one line. "Notifications can be forwarded to one accessory at a time. Notifications will not appear on Apple Watch while Notification Forwarding is turned on," reads another line.

There are also references to new accessory pairing features, such as an AccessoryExtension framework for pairing a third-party device with an iPhone.

The wording is ambiguous so there's no guarantee that it's applicable to third-party smartwatches, but the European Union's Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party smartwatches and other devices with access to notifications and other features that are normally reserved for the Apple Watch.

Apple's limited support for devices that compete with the Apple Watch is also one of the U.S. Department of Justice's key arguments in the Apple vs. DoJ antitrust case. The Department of Justice claims that Apple prevents third-party smartwatches from offering Apple Watch-like functionality by denying them the cellular connectivity options the Apple Watch has and restricting them from acting on incoming notifications.

What the DoJ has to say about smartwatch functionality is of interest because Apple has been addressing the claims in the DoJ's lawsuit in the year and a half since it was filed. The DoJ's claim that Apple suppresses cloud streaming games is no longer relevant, for example, because Apple added support for cloud streaming and apps offering mini games in iOS 17.4. The DoJ targeted Apple's delayed support for RCS, but with iOS 18, Apple implemented RCS support for better cross-platform messaging. The DoJ also took issue with Apple's refusal to allow digital payment providers to access the iPhone's NFC chip, and Apple opened up access to NFC in iOS 18.1.

If Notification Forwarding is indeed related to third-party smartwatches, it could be an EU-only function aimed at addressing the Digital Markets Act requirements in the EU, but it could also be a change that Apple plans to implement worldwide.

Article Link: iPhones May Soon Work Better With Third-Party Smartwatches
Click to expand...
It's about damned time. Garmin is going to be a lot better for many things sports-wise than AWU3 for a while to come, and Apple need to cater to that until such time as it's an actual Fenix competitor. I think it'll happen, but it's a ways off (and new battery chemistry) yet.
 
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Eric_WVGG said:
You must have some setting toggled then, when I get a call my Watch, iPhone, and Mac all start going nuts now.

This is gonna sound nuts, but I'd love some kind of “Apple Watch Shuffle.” No screen, just a band that does the basic health monitoring and does the buzz thing when I get a message. Bonus if I can put it on my ankle under a sock.
Click to expand...

There are people (and discussions online about) using the Apple Watch on the ankle, it seems to work just fine, mostly.
 
Sounds FANTASTIC

Thank you to the EU & the US DOJ for pushing for this extremely pro-consumer change.

This could make my Garmin Watch experience even better in conjunction with iOS.

Let's, of course, hope that Apple brings this to everyone, as this sort of change is better for their iPhone customers.
 
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Chaos215bar2 said:
Don't similar options already exist? I know something like this existed years ago when I used a Garmin watch.
Click to expand...
Yes. I am very confused by this article.

I went from a Pebble to a Garmin and still wear a Garmin today because I only have to charge it twice a month and both watches already got notifications when paired with iOS. They even worked differently.

The Pebble would get pushes of notifications that had no effect on the phone, so if you dismissed on the watch you'd have to do it again on the phone. But the 3 Garmin's I've had since 2018 all have done notification mirroring, where all notifications would also show up on the watch and if you dismiss it on the watch it also dismisses it on your iPhone.

The only notification functionality missing from 3rd party smartwatches was the ability to reply to messages, which this article doesn't mention. Notifications still work perfectly fine when I upgraded to an iPhone 17 Pro on Friday. I didn't even restore a backup this year; I set everything up from scratch and the watch works normally. My Garmin is one of the newer ones with a speaker and microphone so I guess replying to messages via voice would be nice, but otherwise the existing notification functionality seems perfectly fine.


Edit: Reading it again, I think the word "forwarding" might be the key here. Smartwatches can already mirror and copy notifications today. Forwarding sounds like the iPhone does not even get the notification and instead it goes somewhere entirely different instead of to the phone. Maybe this is for situations when you want to leave your other device out of bluetooth range of your phone, so the phone can send notifications via a means other than direct bluetooth connection?
 
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GMShadow said:
MR is the only place I see people bring up the overpriced Garmin fitness trackers. Their annual device sales are probably equivalent to a few days of Apple Watch sales - is it really a shock this isn’t a priority?
Click to expand...
Overpriced? For whom? Those of us who actually DO ultras? I assure you that until recently, the price of a Fenix or Enduro 3 was pretty acceptable to many of us. The fact that Apple walled off so many features that Android enable was a real irritation, thought.
 
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Dormammu said:
Soon as this happens (assuming it does) I’ll be ditching my AWU for a Garmin on day 1.
Click to expand...
I'd keep it; I enjoy both for different things - and I really enjoy Fitness+. If I'm running close to home the Ultra does very nicely. I only really bother with the Garmin when I'm out of area, running very long, or need mapping. Enjoy in either case!
 
constantsnags! said:
It's about damned time. Garmin is going to be a lot better for many things sports-wise than AWU3 for a while to come, and Apple need to cater to that until such time as it's an actual Fenix competitor. I think it'll happen, but it's a ways off (and new battery chemistry) yet.
Click to expand...
It's not right about time. It's decade too late. But right about damned time when Garmin went nuts, spiked up prices, introduced subscription plans and started to ignore bug fixes. It is so frustrating...
 
maszaikasza said:
It's not right about time. It's decade too late. But right about damned time when Garmin went nuts, spiked up prices, introduced subscription plans and started to ignore bug fixes. It is so frustrating...
Click to expand...
I didn't say it's right about time...I said "It's about damned time". You're right about Garmin though - they're doing a very unpleasant little pain test on the market right now. I think they'll regret that.
 
Eric_WVGG said:
You must have some setting toggled then, when I get a call my Watch, iPhone, and Mac all start going nuts now.

This is gonna sound nuts, but I'd love some kind of “Apple Watch Shuffle.” No screen, just a band that does the basic health monitoring and does the buzz thing when I get a message. Bonus if I can put it on my ankle under a sock.
Click to expand...
I’ve got that, notifications come to my Watch, iPad and iPhone. Sometimes delayed by a few seconds, but always all of them.
 
Sappharad said:
Yes. I am very confused by this article.

I went from a Pebble to a Garmin and still wear a Garmin today because I only have to charge it twice a month and both watches already got notifications when paired with iOS. They even worked differently.

The Pebble would get pushes of notifications that had no effect on the phone, so if you dismissed on the watch you'd have to do it again on the phone. But the 3 Garmin's I've had since 2018 all have done notification mirroring, where all notifications would also show up on the watch and if you dismiss it on the watch it also dismisses it on your iPhone.

The only notification functionality missing from 3rd party smartwatches was the ability to reply to messages, which this article doesn't mention. Notifications still work perfectly fine when I upgraded to an iPhone 17 Pro on Friday. I didn't even restore a backup this year; I set everything up from scratch and the watch works normally. My Garmin is one of the newer ones with a speaker and microphone so I guess replying to messages via voice would be nice, but otherwise the existing notification functionality seems perfectly fine.


Edit: Reading it again, I think the word "forwarding" might be the key here. Smartwatches can already mirror and copy notifications today. Forwarding sounds like the iPhone does not even get the notification and instead it goes somewhere entirely different instead of to the phone. Maybe this is for situations when you want to leave your other device out of bluetooth range of your phone, so the phone can send notifications via a means other than direct bluetooth connection?
Click to expand...
I think what is being alluded to is the possibility of more notifications control for third party watches. With Garmin watches paired to iPhone, you either have notifications enabled and every iPhone notification is then mirrored/pushed to the Garmin or you disable all notifications. Currently, there is no fine control of notifications such as per app notifications. This could potentially allow for more customization when it comes to notifications on third party watches.
 
constantsnags! said:
It's about damned time. Garmin is going to be a lot better for many things sports-wise than AWU3 for a while to come, and Apple need to cater to that until such time as it's an actual Fenix competitor. I think it'll happen, but it's a ways off (and new battery chemistry) yet.
Click to expand...
And that's exactly why Apple wants to prevent it.

The corporation knows full well that there are products on the market that are better than its own in many respects. But the corporation also knows that customers want convenience above all else.
By actively blocking interaction between its devices and competing products, Apple encourages buyers to use its products instead of better alternatives, saving itself investment in research and development.

Put simply:
Customer asks, "Which watch should I buy?"
Magazine says: "Competitor A has the best features. But for notifications or syncing, you always have to open the corresponding app."
Customer replies, "That's stupid. Why doesn't the competition want to work seamlessly with Apple? Then I'd rather have the Apple Watch."
Apple secretly: "Competitors don't want to compete? Yeah, sure, believe that. The main thing is that you stay our customer. Hehehe."

The features are examples; I don't have a smartwatch.
However, the argument is correct and can be found in every comparison. Competitors are almost always considered better in some ways, but then the magazine mentions Apples "seamless integration" trump card without mentioning that Apple actively blocks integration with its competitors.

And no: it is not the responsibility of competitors if they are unable to offer certain features due to Apple's behavior.
 
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