New framework: Will iOS 26.1 forward notifications to non-Apple watches?
In the beta code of the new operating system, there are indications that Apple is working on a new notification framework. It comes at the request of the EU.
Computer watch from Garmin: Currently still a notification crutch via app.
(Image: Garmin)
Apple is apparently already planning improvements to the support of third-party accessories with the next major iOS version. More specifically, it seems to be about computer watches and fitness trackers with a display, reports the US edition of Macworld. The plan is to make it easier to transfer notifications to such devices. This is one of the demands that the EU Commission is making of Apple as part of the interoperability requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). It is therefore quite possible that the functionality will initially only be available to citizens of the European Union.
Notifications only complete on the Apple Watch
According to Macworld, the function, which is called “Notification Forwarding,” is included in the code of the developer beta of iOS 26.1, which has recently been made available. The idea seems to be to create a separate framework for such devices that is nevertheless privacy-friendly. Apple has so far only allowed the full functionality of notifications with its computer watches from the Apple Watch series. For example, no images are forwarded, deletions are not synchronized, and there is no direct reply option.
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Notification Forwarding should now change this and allow notifications to be forwarded to a non-Apple product. What is then possible remains unclear for now. However, one string states that Apple will restrict this to just one device. It should therefore not be possible to send notifications to several third-party accessories at the same time. Another new feature is a framework designed to make pairing external accessories easier. It is called "AccessoryExtension," but is probably still at an early stage. In addition to the use of notifications, the EU also requires Apple to make pairing with third-party devices as easy as for Apple hardware.
Loss of the Apple magic?
iOS 26.1 should be released in just a few weeks. Apple recently failed in its attempt to prevent parts of the DMA specifications by means of an emergency objection. “They want to take away the magic—the seamless integration that we offer—and make us like the others,” complained Apple's top global marketing boss Greg Joswiak in reference to the EU Commission, according to a BBC report.
The regulators would “make for a worse user experience,” undermine innovation, “infringe Apple's intellectual property,” and “damage privacy and security,” Joswiak said. Among other things, Apple fears that notifications could flow to external servers. A proprietary framework could possibly prevent this.
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