Apple’s iOS 26.3 will introduce proximity pairing with third-party devices in the EU

Apple is making it a little easier to use third-party devices with iPhones in order to comply with Europe’s Digital Market Act (DMA). MacRumors reported. For iOS 26.3, Apple devices will support proximity pairing and third-party notifications in Europe only, according to the latest beta notes. This will make it a little easier to connect devices like Sony headphones or receive notifications from an iPhone to Wear OS smartwatches, provided manufacturers support the new feature.

“The DMA creates new opportunities for developers to bring innovative products and services to market in Europe,” an EU spokesperson said. The Wall Street Journal. “This is a new step towards a more interconnected digital ecosystem, for the benefit of all EU citizens.” The European Commission added that the feature would be “fully available” in the European Union in 2026.

The new abilities are:

• Proximity pairing – Devices such as headphones will be able to pair with an iOS device like AirPods by bringing the accessory closer to a iPhone Or iPad to initiate a simple pairing process with just one click. Pairing third-party devices will no longer require multiple steps.

• Notifications – Third-party accessories like smartwatches will be able to receive notifications from the ‌iPhone‌. Users will be able to view and respond to incoming notifications, a feature normally limited to the Apple Watch. Notifications can only be forwarded to one connected device at a time, and enabling notifications for a third-party device turns off notifications on an Apple Watch.

Proximity pairing is a relatively minor quality of life improvement, letting you connect with a single tap via NFC rather than diving into Bluetooth settings. However, there’s no indication that this will allow seamless switching between devices, like you can with Apple’s iPods, for example. However, notifications will finally make third-party watches feasible with iOS devices.

Apple’s DMA compliance efforts are interesting to watch, as they appear to be doing the bare minimum required, often for what they call privacy reasons. In some cases, the company is removing features in Europe that are available elsewhere, such as Mirroring iPhone to Mac – which means there is no need to implement the same functionality on Android devices or PCs.