Apple tightens rules as it opens iPhone notifications to third-party devices in the EU

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Apple is preparing to let third-party accessories read your iPhone notifications in Europe, but it is doing so under strict new limits that show how uneasy it still is about the change.

The company has updated its Developer Program License Agreement with a new section covering how accessories can handle forwarded notifications and Live Activities. The update comes as Apple works to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which forces it to open up parts of iOS that were previously locked down.

This change matters because notification data is some of the most sensitive information on a phone. Messages, emails, health alerts, and other personal updates all pass through the notification system. Apple has long designed iOS in a way that even it cannot fully access this content. Now, it is required to let third-party devices access it.

Also Read: Apple Loosens EU App Store Rules—What It Means for Developers

Apple bans ads, tracking, and cloud storage to lock down notification data

Apple is placing clear limits on what accessory makers can do with this data.

Developers are not allowed to use forwarded notification data for advertising, profiling, or training machine learning models. They also cannot use it to track user location. The data cannot be shared with other apps or devices beyond the accessory that the user has explicitly set up.

Apple is also restricting how the data is handled technically. Notification content must be decrypted only on the accessory itself. It cannot be stored on remote servers unless it is strictly required to deliver the notification. Even then, storage is tightly limited.

Accessories are not allowed to share encryption keys with any other device, including the user’s own iPhone. They also cannot modify the meaning of a notification beyond basic formatting needed to display it.

EU law forces Apple to open notifications it previously kept inaccessible

These rules are tied directly to the Digital Markets Act, which requires Apple to improve interoperability with third-party hardware in the European Union. Features like notification forwarding and Live Activities support for external accessories are part of that effort.

Apple has argued that these requirements introduce real risks. The company previously warned that opening access to notification data could expose highly sensitive personal information to other companies. It also pointed out that some of this data is not even accessible to Apple itself under its current system design.

Despite those concerns, Apple is moving forward with implementation. The new rules reflect an attempt to contain the risks while still meeting regulatory demands.

Users can enable it, but any app’s notifications can flow to external devices

Users will control whether their notifications are shared with third-party accessories through system-level settings. Apps do not need to opt in for their notifications to be forwarded.

That detail shifts responsibility toward the user. Once enabled, a wide range of personal data can flow to external devices, even if the app that generated the notification has no direct involvement.

Apple’s new framework makes it clear that the company is treating this as a sensitive compromise. It is opening access because it has to, while building strict guardrails to limit how far that access can go.

The result is a system that works on paper, but depends heavily on how well accessory makers follow the rules and how carefully users manage their settings.

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