iOS 26.1 Beta Hints at Better Support for Other Smartwatches; Testers Get Access to New Apple Music Gestures

Apple released the first public beta of iOS 26.1 for eligible iPhones earlier this week, following its earlier developer beta. While Apple has not detailed what is new, the release notes mention that it offers an early preview of upcoming apps, features, and technologies. The beta update comes with build number 23B5044l. The code in this update reportedly suggests the Cupertino-based tech giant may be preparing iPhones to support third-party smartwatches, hinting at expanded device compatibility in a future iOS release.

iOS 26.1 Unlikely to Ship With Improved Support for Third-Party Smartwatches

According to a Macworld report, the latest iOS 26.1 beta code reveals an unreleased feature called Notification Forwarding. This feature is expected to allow users to display iPhone notifications on a non-Apple device or accessory. When available, it can be activated in the Settings app on iOS. 

The publication explains that with Notification Forwarding, iPhone notifications can go to only one device at a time, based on the code it spotted on the iOS 26.1 beta. If you forward them to a non-Apple device, your Apple Watch won't receive them.

The report also highlights references to new frameworks, including “AccessoryExtension,” which appear to indicate a simpler way to pair third-party accessories with the iPhone. However, Apple may not introduce enhanced smartwatch compatibility in iOS 26.1 itself. Instead, the feature is likely to arrive in a future update, with the company currently preparing the necessary groundwork in the beta code.

It remains uncertain whether features like Notification Forwarding will be rolled out worldwide or restricted to regions with specific regulations. Last year, for instance, the EU pushed Apple to improve iPhone compatibility with third-party accessories such as smartwatches. Just as EU users currently enjoy region-specific options like sideloading apps and accessing third-party app stores, enhanced smartwatch support might initially be limited to the EU.

The first public beta of iOS 26.1 introduces several new features, including AirPods Live Translation support for five additional languages and the expansion of Apple Intelligence to eight more languages.

iOS 26.1 beta 1 also reportedly introduces a new swipe gesture for switching tracks in Apple Music. Users can now swipe left or right on the MiniPlayer to change songs, whether it's fully expanded above the tab bar or minimised next to it. The gesture is enhanced with smooth Liquid Glass animations and subtle haptic feedback. Swiping left skips to the next track, while swiping right returns to the previous one.

With iOS 26.1 beta, the Photos app reportedly features a redesigned video playback scrubber, while Calendar's List view uses full-width colour highlights for all events. The Phone app keypad has also been refreshed with Liquid Glass effects.

Additionally, code in the beta hints at upcoming MCP support for agentic AI features. As this is only the first beta, Apple may introduce more features and changes in future iOS 26.1 updates.