Apple is preparing to expand Live Activities support to third-party accessories with iOS 26.5. The feature appears in early beta code and will allow connected devices to display real-time updates from an iPhone. However, this functionality will be limited to users in the European Union.
9to5Mac reports that Apple is developing a new framework called AccessoryLiveActivities. This system will let accessories receive and show Live Activities directly from an iPhone. It builds on Apple’s existing notification forwarding features and extends them to more interactive use cases.
The update comes as part of Apple’s efforts to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. As a result, the feature will not be available globally at launch.
Users will need to grant permission before an accessory can access Live Activities. The system will show a detailed prompt explaining what data may be shared.
Apple states that Live Activities may include “app names and app content, which may contain personal information such as your health data, location data, and purchasing history.”
After granting access, users can choose specific apps that can share Live Activities or allow full access for all apps. Apple notes that full access will apply to both current and future apps installed on the device.
9to5Mac reports that Apple has not officially announced the feature or released developer documentation yet. It also remains unclear which accessories will support it, though devices that already use notification forwarding are likely early candidates.
iOS 26.5 also introduces other updates, including new Apple Maps suggestions and App Store subscription options.
