Apple has long restricted message reply capabilities on iPhones to its own Apple Watch, leaving owners of third-party wearables without an equivalent interactive option. That limitation is now being loosened for users in the European Union, following regulatory pressure. With the release of iOS 26.5, iPhone customers in the EU can activate a new “Notification Forwarding” setting, which opens up full access to push notifications for third-party devices.
A Shift Driven by Regulation
Until now, responding to an incoming message from the wrist while using an iPhone meant choosing Apple’s wearable ecosystem. The change arrives after EU intervention prompted the company to grant third-party smartwatch makers the same notification-handling capabilities previously reserved for the Apple Watch. Once a user enables Notification Forwarding in the system settings, a paired external device can receive and process all push alerts.
Amazfit Leads With Early Support
Amazfit is among the first manufacturers to implement support for the expanded notification channel. Owners of the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra ($599), Amazfit Balance Ultra, and Amazfit Balance 3 can now activate the feature through the Zepp companion app. The company has also confirmed that the Amazfit Bip Max, Active 3 Premium, Cheetah 2 Pro, T-Rex 3, T-Rex 3 Pro, T-Rex Ultra 2, and Balance 2 will receive a corresponding update “soon.”
Practical Benefits and Current Limitations
The update delivers three key capabilities. Users can reply directly to incoming messages from the smartwatch, including those from third-party services such as WhatsApp. Notifications also become interactive, allowing a recipient to mark a message as read or trigger a callback from the wrist. Additionally, alerts can now display attached media—for instance, showing an image captured by a video doorbell when someone rings. Because this functionality is still in beta, occasional bugs may occur.
For EU-based iPhone owners who have long sought an alternative to Apple’s own wearable, the expansion of Notification Forwarding represents a meaningful step toward broader device compatibility, though the experience may vary by manufacturer and app support.
Source: uk.amazfit.com