- iOS 26.3 adds AirPods-style features to other wireless earbuds
- The software will roll out sometime early in 2026
- It’s the latest EU regulatory requirement, so it doesn’t apply worldwide
One of the benefits of using AirPods with iPhones (or really any Apple device) is that pairing is so quick and easy. That same convenience is soon going to be available to third-party earbuds as well – but only if you live in the European Union.
Like USB-C charging ports and alternative app stores, this is driven by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Passed in November 2022, it essentially puts limits on how far big tech companies can go in terms of keeping their own ecosystems closed off.
As per MacRumors, iOS 26.3 will open the door to earbud manufacturers who want their own products to work as well with iPhones as AirPods do. That testing will take some time, but we may begin to see this functionality rolling out during the course of 2026.
Right now, iOS 26.3 is only out in beta, but we’re already hearing plenty about the new features it’s going to bring to millions of iPhones globally. Some of the others include notification forwarding and a fresh batch of wallpapers.
‘More inter-connected’
EU regulators are keen to talk up the user benefits of this, of course: the change provides “another step towards a more interconnected digital ecosystem to the benefit of all EU citizens”, according to the European Commission.
There are two features in particular that will be open to third-party earbuds. They include proximity pairing (moving the earbuds close together will start pairing) and notifications (so earbuds and other devices receive alerts and can respond).
That second feature will be a bonus for the best smartwatches, too – the seamless notification syncing experience that is currently exclusive to the Apple Watch should be coming to models from other wearable makers, too. Again, if you’re in the EU.
Apple hasn’t said anything about these features specifically, but has repeatedly criticized the DMA and the EU’s efforts to implement it. It has led to a variety of features, including Apple Intelligence and Live Translation for AirPods, being delayed in European countries.
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