Apple has made a significant change to its operating system to comply with European Union regulations and enhance the user experience. With the latest update, iOS 26.3 officially introduces the notification forwarding feature. This new setting allows iPhone users to forward incoming notifications to third-party wearable devices other than the Apple Watch.

How Does iOS 26.3 Notification Forwarding Work?

Users can access the newly added “Notification Forwarding” option by going to the Notifications section in the Settings app. This feature allows important alerts and messages received on your iPhone to be instantly forwarded to other smartwatches or wristbands you use. However, Apple has introduced a significant technical limitation.

The system only allows notifications to be forwarded to one device at a time. Therefore, if you activate the iOS 26.3 notification forwarding feature for a third-party wearable device, your Apple Watch will stop receiving and displaying notifications. This requires users to decide which device will be their primary accessory.

Nevertheless, the feature offers users flexible control. You can choose to enable notifications from all apps, or only select specific apps to send notifications. The forwarded notifications include the app name and all text or media details.

This feature is currently only available to users in Europe. Apple’s move is part of a strategy to ease regulatory pressure under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The law requires Apple to allow third-party smartwatches and other devices access to notifications and features normally exclusive to the Apple Watch.

As a result, while the iOS 26.3 update is available globally, the notification forwarding option is geographically restricted. Apple was forced to open this door to increase competition and support users’ freedom to choose different brands.

So, what are your thoughts on iOS 26.3 notification forwarding? Share your opinions in the comments!