Garmin beaten by Amazfit to iOS Notification Forwarding in June 2026
The EU forced a reluctant Apple to unlock and open the door to some of its innermost, protected features. Garmin looked in pensively and silently, Amazfit ran in and has already announced iOS Notification Forwarding for the EU.
Amazfit has confirmed iOS Notification Forwarding on the Balance Ultra, Balance 3 and Cheetah 2 Ultra in its just-published Q3 2026 software roadmap. The feature lets a third party watch, reply to, and interact with iPhone notifications, not just display them. Garmin has not commented on the opportunity.
Amazfit’s commitment
The roadmap linked above shows iOS Notification Forwarding will arrive this month for the three most recent Amazfit watches: the Balance Ultra, the Balance 3 and the Cheetah 2 Ultra.
It should be noted that Garmin has access to the exact same Apple framework as any other watch brand.
Garmin’s silence
Garmin has said nothing since iOS 26.5 dropped, as highlighted in our May 16 piece, which flagged the silence at the time. Three weeks on, it continues.
Comment
The May 16 piece closed with: Brussels can hand over the keys; only Garmin can open the door. Three weeks later, a competitor, a fraction of Garmin’s size, has stepped through the door with a concrete roadmap for the feature on three high-end watches.
Garmin will inevitably add this feature, but the question is to which watches and when.
The feature itself is relatively important, but hardly a headline by itself worth shouting about too loudly. Either it will be rolled out in the next quarter’s tranche of features for the current crop of watches, or it will be one of several similarly important features bundled together to accompany a new high-end watch (and later rolled down to existing watches). This feature could encroach on Fenix 9 territory, but that won’t be announced until August at the earliest, and probably a few months later than that.
This site speculates that we will get the feature sooner rather than later on existing models.
Quick answers
Which Amazfit watches get iOS Notification Forwarding in June 2026?
The Balance Ultra, Balance 3 and Cheetah 2 Ultra. EU iPhone accounts only. Other Amazfit watches are not on the published roadmap for this feature.
When will Garmin add iOS Notification Forwarding?
Garmin has not announced a date. No firmware schedule has been published. The Apple framework has been available on EU iPhones since iOS 26.5 launched on 11 May 2026.
Last Updated on 29 June 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
I really don’t understand why all the sport gadget bloggers only mention Garmin who is going to benefit from this new possibility. (and then seems to be surprised if someone beat Garmin)
There are more sport gadget manufacturers who have the same new opportunity and Garmin hasn’t the best reputation with software development nor with updating last years devices. So Garmin users might be the ones who will benefit the least.
just my 2 cents.
For Garmin it is the most impactful. Garmin’s lack of smart features relative to Apple is a strategic weakness, for amazfit it is a tactical weakness now overcome.
Same goes for other brands. Garmins most impactful strategic impact is it’s price (and for the ones who cares, their low quality firmware and short update support)
Seems that it is after a ZeppOS update available on some Amazfit watches today. I am able to respond to WhatsApp messages from my C2U now.