iOS 26.3 brings many new features to your iPhone, four of which are exclusive to users in the European Union. This is them!
iOS 26.3
A new software version for the iPhone is coming! Apple released iOS 26.2.1 on Monday, January 26, 2026, bringing support for the second generation of the AirTag to the iPhone. No new features came to your iPhone, but that is the case with iOS 26.3. iOS 26.3 is an interesting update, especially for European users, because some of the functions are exclusive to iPhones in the European Union. This is them!
1. Notifications on smartwatches
Do you wear a smartwatch from a brand other than Apple? Then iOS 26.3 introduces a useful feature, because your iPhone can finally forward notifications to third-party smartwatches. This feature is now exclusive to the Apple Watch, from iOS 26.3 your iPhone can also share notifications to a smart watch from, for example, Samsung. This improvement is the result of new European regulations, which means that you are no longer limited to an Apple Watch if you have an iPhone.
2. Connecting accessories
iOS 26.3 makes it easier to connect wireless accessories to your iPhone. To connect to many wireless devices, you now have to install an application or follow a complicated step-by-step plan. A new feature in iOS 26.3 changes this, because your iPhone automatically registers wireless accessories when they are nearby. Linking the AirPods and AirTag is already possible this way, and this will soon also apply to accessories from other brands.
3. More options for the NFC chip
The NFC chip in your iPhone will have more options with iOS 26.3. This chip is used for the quick and secure exchange of data, for example to make contactless payments. The NFC chip allows devices to exchange data securely within a distance of ten centimeters. Apple currently limits this data exchange to Apple devices, but that is no longer the case in iOS 26.3. For example, exchanging data between Apple and Android devices should be faster, safer and easier with this new feature in iOS 26.3.
4. Wireless connections
A major advantage of all Apple devices is that they work together almost seamlessly. This way you can easily and wirelessly play content on your iPhone via your Mac, but this advantage does not apply to devices from other brands. A new feature of iOS 26.3 changes this, because third-party devices must now have the same options for making wireless connections. This is good news, because your iPhone can work better with, for example, a laptop that runs on Windows.
Release of iOS 26.3
Since 2024, the European Union has applied stricter regulations for large companies such as Apple, which European users are now starting to notice the benefits of. iOS 26.3 brings a series of new features to your iPhone, which are the result of this stricter legislation. Apple is obliged to give more parties access to features that are currently exclusive to Apple devices. This way, your iPhone will soon work better with smartwatches and various devices from other brands.
We don’t have to wait much longer for iOS 26.3. Apple is expected to release the new software version to all users in the last week of January or the first week of February. Don’t want to miss any of Apple’s updates? Then sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter so you always stay informed!
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