The Apple Watch has always played nice with iPhones, a relationship that other smartwatches could only dream of. I mean, sure, you could pair a Garmin or even a reborn Pebble with your iPhone, but functionality was limited. It felt like you were only getting half the experience compared to using them with an Android phone. However, all of this might be about to change, and it seems like iOS 26 could finally bring better integration for those non-Apple wearables.

According to some digging into the iOS 26.1 beta code, Apple is working on something called "Notification Forwarding". If the rumors are true, this feature will allow iPhones to send notifications to other devices. As a user, I can see how beneficial this would be. Imagine getting all your iPhone notifications on your trusty old Pebble, or any other smartwatch you like.

I have to say, the current system isn't great. While you can technically get notifications on third-party wearables, doing anything with them is a pain. Replying to texts, dismissing notifications – forget about it! It's like Apple doesn't want you interacting with your phone through anything other than an Apple Watch. Furthermore, you can only see the notification if the phone is unlocked, which is an unnecessary restriction.

This new feature could change all that, letting us interact with notifications more easily. But there’s a catch: it might only work with one non-Apple device at a time. This means that If you connect a Garmin watch, your Apple Watch will disconnect. It is a case of one or the other.

Also, it looks like iOS 26 might simplify the pairing process for these smartwatches with a new framework in development called “AccessoryExtension.” There is no guarantee this will arrive, though.

Why the sudden change of heart from Apple? Well, it might not be entirely altruistic. The European Union is pushing Apple to open up its ecosystem under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). They've given Apple a list of features they need to implement to play nice with non-Apple devices. If they don't, they could face hefty fines. I think Apple is doing this to avoid trouble with the EU.

If these changes are implemented, It remains to be seen how Apple will change its business model and how will affect users and developers. One thing that I'm skeptical about is whether Apple will extend these features worldwide or limit them to the EU. And, will Apple exclude Wear OS smartwatches to edge out Google and Samsung?