Apple Testing AirPods-Like Pairing, Live Activities and Notification Forwarding for Third-Party...
Key summary
Apple is adding AirPods-style proximity pairing and notification forwarding support for third-party wearables, with developers able to test TVs, smartwatches and headphones.
Testing started in iOS 26.3, continued through iOS 26.4, and these options remain in the iOS 26.5 beta; the features have not launched yet.
One-tap proximity pairing will let earbuds and similar accessories start an AirPods-like pairing when brought near an iPhone or iPad.
Notification forwarding will include Live Activities and allow users to view and react to incoming alerts on third-party devices — a capability previously limited to Apple Watch.
Notifications can be sent to only one connected device at a time; enabling them for a third-party device disables notifications on an Apple Watch, and the European Commission says Apple will roll these out in Europe in 2026.
