Garmin gets another EU break: Live Activities and replies
Brussels has handed EU Garmin watch owners two more iPhone abilities, reply-from-wrist and Live Activities, pending a Garmin firmware update.
From Monday’s iOS 26.5 release, an EU iPhone can forward interactive notifications and Live Activities to a Forerunner, Fenix or Epix. Both have been Apple Watch exclusives since 2015. Garmin must, of course, ship firmware to use either. The company has said nothing about when.
The road so far
In 18 months, the landscape has significantly improved Garmin’s prospects of becoming a better smartwatch maker.
- September 2024: the European Commission opens Digital Markets Act proceedings against Apple over iPhone interoperability.
- March 2025: the Commission publishes nine specific interoperability areas Apple must address.
- September 2025: iOS code hints at an AccessoryExtension framework for richer third-party notifications.
- December 2025: iOS 26.3 beta unlocks per-app notification filtering for EU Garmin owners. Send some app alerts to the watch, keep others on the phone.
- February 2026: iOS 26.3 release lets EU Garmin watches sync metrics to the iPhone in the background, without Connect open.
- May 2026: iOS 26.5 opens the iPhone to interactive notifications and Live Activities forwarding for EU Garmin owners, pending firmware.
What’s new
Two abilities are available to Garmin. The first is interactive notifications. A watch can act on an iPhone notification rather than only display it. Reply to a message. Dismiss the alert. Trigger an in-app action that the developer has added – that kind of thing.
Not to be confused with Garmin’s own Live Activity tracking service, the second is Apple’s Live Activities forwarding. The live-updating panels iPhone owners already see, parcel countdowns, taxi ETAs, flight status, and in-app timers, can be shown on a third-party watch face.
Apple has added a notable condition. The revised Developer Program License Agreement forbids Garmin and other accessory makers from using forwarded data for advertising, profiling, model training, location tracking, or passing it to any other device or app. That won’t worry Garmin.
This will only be available in the USA if Apple (not Garmin) allows it.
What you need
Three things must line up.
- The iPhone must be on iOS 26.5.
- The Apple account must be registered in an EU country.
- Garmin must ship supporting firmware.
The first two are in place from Monday. The third has no announced date.
The limits
Two limits matter to the owner. A UK or US Apple account will see nothing, regardless of where the iPhone is bought. A Fenix 8 owner on the MacRumors forum reported as much this week, though one post is colour, not confirmation. Notification forwarding also works on a per-device basis, so a customer running both an Apple Watch and a Garmin must choose which device to use.
What’s still coming
The EU still has gains to bank. The March 2025 Commission specification listed nine interoperability requirements, and several have yet to land. The next reference point is WWDC on 8 June, when Apple previews iOS 27. None of the iOS 26.5 changes is currently expected to extend to the UK or the US.
Will my Garmin watch get iOS 26.5 reply-from-wrist and Live Activities?
Probably yes, if it already supports iPhone notifications, but timing depends on Garmin firmware. Garmin’s pattern with the iOS 26.3 changes covered recent Forerunner, Fenix, Epix, and Venu models. No compatibility list has been published for the iOS 26.5 features.
Will UK Garmin owners get reply-from-wrist?
Not from Apple alone. iOS 26.5 features are tied to the Apple account’s country, and UK accounts are excluded. The UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 gives the CMA equivalent powers, but no UK ruling has yet forced the same changes.
How do I enable notification forwarding to a Garmin watch?
Wait for Garmin to ship the firmware first. Notification forwarding is opt-in on iOS 26.5, and turning it on for a Garmin watch disables forwarding to a paired Apple Watch.
Comment
Brussels keeps doing the work. Each iOS release peels back another layer of Apple’s exclusivity, and on paper, Garmin is the largest beneficiary on the EU side of the line.
Yet in practice, the gift sits on the loading dock. Every step needs Garmin firmware to land on the wrist. Garmin has yet to confirm when.
Brussels can hand over the keys. Only Garmin can open the door.
Last Updated on 16 May 2026 by the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
One thing is. It correct, I get notifications on my enduro 3 and Apple Watch 11 at the same time, I have notification forwarding to enduro.