The US technology giant is researching two major upgrades for its handheld devices to enhance connectivity with third-party smartwatches such as Huawei, Garmin and many other brands.
Some Garmin smartwatch users find that their wearable devices can connect to Apple's iPhone, even if the Garmin Connect app itself is not activated.
Some Huawei users also recorded a similar phenomenon when synchronizing watches with Apple's iPhone models. They said that wearable devices can now be tacitly synchronized on iPhones without opening applications specifically for watches.
Notably, this change is taking effect in Europe. The Digital Market Act has amended regulations, forcing companies like Apple to open their systems to more brands.
Therefore, Apple needs to improve the functions of iOS, especially the way it connects to third-party devices such as Huawei and Garmin smartwatches as well as the way it exchanges data.
With these changes, Huawei and Garmin watches seem to be allowed to connect to iPhones without installing the corresponding applications, even if the applications do not run in the background. Users will be able to continue tracking data without losing data.
So far, only Apple Watch operates seamlessly with iPhone. But the latest regulations are changing this aspect, at least for users living in the EU. The European Commission said that the situation will be improved for third-party smartwatches with the upcoming iOS 26.3 update.
Apple may introduce a new feature - notification forwarding - that allows notifications to be easily displayed on accessories such as watches or smart bracelets.
It is still unclear what else Apple will bring in the upcoming update. However, this is good news for all Huawei smartwatch users who own iPhones and have difficulty connecting devices.
