Apple is gradually expanding the ways its devices can work with third-party accessories, and iOS 26.5 in Europe brings another step in this direction. The new beta revealed that Apple is preparing support for Live Activities even outside of your own device – specifically for accessories from other manufacturers.
The whole thing is based on a framework called AccessoryLiveActivities, which will allow compatible accessories to receive and display information from the iPhone in real time. Similar to how notification forwarding works, the option will be limited to users in the European Union, which is clearly connected to the EU's demands for a more open ecosystem.
Gallery
It will be simple to use, but also safe. Once you connect the accessory, the system will ask you to grant permission to receive Live Activities. Apple It will clearly warn that these activities may include application names and their content, and sometimes sensitive data – such as health information, location or purchase history.
Users will then be able to choose which apps have access to the accessory, or grant full access to all current and future apps on the device. This makes sense especially for those who want accessories to provide a comprehensive overview of information, but also want to monitor exactly what is being shared. Apple The feature hasn't been officially introduced or documented yet, so it's not entirely clear which accessories will be supported. However, it's likely that the first ones to be supported will be those that already support notification forwarding today.
You might be interested in
iOS 26.5 is starting to look like a much more interesting update than some might have expected. In addition to the new features in Maps or App Store This is the next step, how Apple is gradually opening up its ecosystem and giving users greater options for connecting with external accessories.
