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| The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra can now reply to messages on an iPhone as well. |
In a landmark shift that's shaking up the wearable tech industry, iPhone users in the European Union can now reply to messages directly from non-Apple smartwatches—a feature long reserved exclusively for the Apple Watch.
For years, Apple maintained a digital fortress around its notification system. If you wanted to respond to a WhatsApp message or interact with incoming alerts from your wrist, your only option was to shell out for an Apple Watch. Third-party smartwatch owners were left staring at notifications they could read but never touch.
That wall has finally crumbled—and it took regulatory pressure to bring it down.
The iOS 26.5 Update That Changes Everything
With the release of iOS 26.5, Apple quietly introduced a feature called "Notification Forwarding" in system settings. When enabled, this functionality grants third-party smartwatches full access to an iPhone's push notifications, effectively ending Apple's long-standing monopoly on interactive wrist-based messaging.
The catch? For now, this feature is exclusively available to iPhone users in the European Union, a direct result of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that has already forced Apple to adopt USB-C charging and allow alternative app stores.
Amazfit Leads the Charge: First to Support iOS Notification Forwarding
While the feature is brand new, Amazfit has wasted no time capitalizing on the opportunity. The smartwatch manufacturer has become one of the first to introduce full support for iOS Notification Forwarding through its Zepp app.
Currently, the following Amazfit models are compatible with the new feature:
- Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra ($599 on Amazon) – a premium GPS sports watch built for serious athletes
- Amazfit Balance Ultra – the flagship health and fitness tracker
- Amazfit Balance 3 – the latest iteration of the popular Balance series
Read Amazfit's official announcement about the iOS notifications upgrade
Which Amazfit Watches Will Get the Update Next?
If you own an older Amazfit model, don't worry—your watch isn't being left behind. Amazfit has confirmed that the following models are expected to receive a corresponding update "soon:"
- Amazfit Bip Max
- Active 3 Premium
- Cheetah 2 Pro
- T-Rex 3
- T-Rex 3 Pro
- T-Rex Ultra 2
- Balance 2
While exact release dates haven't been confirmed, Amazfit has indicated these updates are actively in development.
Three Game-Changing Benefits for iPhone Users
So what does Notification Forwarding actually do for you? The update delivers three major improvements that fundamentally change how iPhone users interact with their third-party smartwatches:
1. Reply to Messages Directly From Your Wrist
This is the headline feature. Whether you're receiving a WhatsApp message, a Telegram ping, or any other third-party app notification, you can now reply directly from your smartwatch without pulling out your iPhone.
No more fumbling for your phone during workouts, meetings, or while carrying groceries. Your wrist is now a fully functional messaging hub.
2. Full Notification Interaction
Beyond simple replies, users can now interact with notifications more deeply:
- Mark messages as read with a single tap
- Initiate callbacks directly from notification alerts
- Dismiss or archive notifications without touching your phone
- Quick-action responses for supported apps
3. Media Display in Notifications
Perhaps the most visually impressive addition: notifications can now display media content. Imagine your video doorbell rings, and instead of just reading a text alert, you can actually see the image captured by your doorbell camera right on your smartwatch screen.
This is currently labelled as a beta feature, so users should expect some bugs. However, the potential is enormous—from security camera alerts to social media previews, this transforms the smartwatch from a simple notification ticker into a genuine visual extension of your iPhone.
The Privacy Question: What About Security?
Given that Notification Forwarding gives third-party devices access to push notifications containing potentially sensitive information, privacy concerns are inevitable.
Apple has designed the feature with privacy in mind—it's disabled by default and requires explicit user consent to enable. The setup process involves:
- Navigating to iOS system settings
- Locating the Notification Forwarding toggle
- Pairing and authorizing the specific third-party device
- Confirming you understand the implications
Additionally, the feature is currently geographically restricted to the EU, meaning users elsewhere won't even see the option in their settings—a clear signal that this change is regulatory-driven rather than voluntary.
Is This the End of Apple Watch's Exclusivity?
For years, the Apple Watch's ability to handle interactive notifications was a major selling point. It kept users locked into Apple's ecosystem and made switching to Android or non-Apple wearables far less appealing.
Notification Forwarding shatters that moat—at least in the EU.
While the Apple Watch still offers deeper integration with iOS (ECG monitoring, fall detection, and seamless Fitness+ compatibility), the core functionality that casual users care about—replying to messages—is now available on far more affordable alternatives.
Check the current price of Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra on Amazon
What This Means for the Smartwatch Market
Industry analysts are already predicting ripple effects across the wearable tech landscape:
For Consumers: More choice without sacrificing functionality. Users can now pick the smartwatch that best fits their needs—whether that's Amazfit's long battery life, Garmin's sports tracking, or Fitbit's health metrics—without losing access to iOS notifications.
For Competitors: Garmin, Suunto, Polar, and other smartwatch makers are now under pressure to quickly add iOS Notification Forwarding support to their own devices. The first manufacturers to implement the feature will likely see a surge in iPhone-owning customers.
For Apple: The company may need to accelerate innovation on the Apple Watch to maintain its premium positioning. Exclusive software features like advanced health sensors and seamless ecosystem integration will become even more important.
Looking Ahead: A Global Rollout?
The obvious question: will Notification Forwarding ever come to iPhone users outside the European Union?
At this point, Apple hasn't announced any plans for a global rollout. The feature exists primarily to comply with the Digital Markets Act, which specifically targets anti-competitive practices within the EU market.
However, history suggests that features introduced under regulatory pressure often become global over time. USB-C ports on iPhones, for example, were initially a Europe-only change before Apple adopted them worldwide.
For now, non-EU users will have to wait—or consider a weekend trip to Paris, Berlin, or Milan to update their iOS settings.
Final Verdict: A Welcome Change, but Work in Progress
The addition of Notification Forwarding represents a significant victory for consumer choice and interoperability. It proves that competition—even when forced by regulators—can deliver tangible benefits to users who just want their devices to work well together.
That said, the feature is still rough around the edges. The media display functionality is explicitly labelled as beta, and "bugs cannot be ruled out" according to Amazfit's announcement. Early adopters should expect some hiccups as both Apple and third-party manufacturers refine the implementation.
For users in the EU who own compatible Amazfit watches, however, the upgrade is available right now. It transforms a reading-only notification experience into a fully interactive one—and it only took European regulators to make it happen.
Have you tried Notification Forwarding on your Amazfit watch? Share your experience in the comments below.
Disclaimer: Product availability and pricing are subject to change. The Notification Forwarding feature is currently limited to iPhone users in the European Union running iOS 26.5 or later.
Source : Amazfit
