iOS 26 won’t simply make your iPhone higher. It can additionally add a number of new options to AirPods, bettering the already glorious expertise of utilizing Apple’s super-popular earbuds.
The modifications will additional deepen the AirPods integration with the iPhone. Discover out all of the methods iOS 26 will enhance your AirPods expertise.
How iOS 26 will improve your AirPods expertise
After launching AirPods in 2016, Apple has added new options to its earbuds with each main iOS launch. The AirPods Professional 2 particularly — which Cult of Mac’s evaluation known as “essential for Apple customers” — proceed to learn from software program upgrades that unlock thrilling new options.
No surprise AirPods stay the very best earbuds for the iPhone. Whereas newer earbuds from Samsung and Sony can rival the AirPods’ sound high quality, none provide options like listening to help assist and answering calls by nodding your head.
With iOS 26, Apple will add a number of extra useful options to AirPods, however just for fashions which have an H2 wi-fi chipset inside. Sadly, which means solely the AirPods 4 (fashions with or with out lively noise cancellation) and AirPods Professional 2 and can get these upgrades. (Apple reportedly plans to launch AirPods Professional 3, with much more superior options, subsequent 12 months.)
Desk of contents: How iOS 26 will improve your AirPods expertise
Digital camera distant
Photograph: David Snow/Cult of Mac
iOS 26 will flip the AirPods right into a distant digital camera shutter launch button. With the iPhone’s Digital camera app open, you’ll be able to seize a photograph or begin recording a video by urgent (or urgent and holding) one of many AirPods’ stems.
Superior audio recording
Apple will lastly allow you to use your AirPods as an exterior microphone when recording movies. It will allow you to seize higher-quality audio with much less background noise. It’s also possible to seize audio utilizing the AirPods in video calls, together with utilizing third-party apps in addition to Apple apps like Messages, Voice Memos, and many others.
This opens the door to a number of new potentialities, together with utilizing AirPods for recording on-the-go podcasts with superior audio high quality.
Audio auto-pause when sleeping
iOS 26 will allow your AirPods to mechanically pause music or audio playback after they detect you’ve got fallen asleep. You gained’t need to arrange a sleep timer individually for this.
CarPlay integration
Screenshot: Apple
In iOS 26, if you get in your automotive whereas listening to music in your AirPods, the earbuds will seamlessly hand off audio playback to CarPlay when your automotive’s infotainment system boots. Alternatively, a brand new choice allows you to preserve the AirPods as your major audio output.
Manually replace AirPods firmware
Apple doesn’t present a handbook approach to replace AirPods firmware. As an alternative, the earbuds mechanically replace within the background. It will change with iOS 26, which provides a brand new Software program replace web page.
Low-battery alerts
When your AirPods’ battery stage drops under a sure threshold, iOS 26 will let you recognize. An alert will pop up so you’ll be able to cost your earbuds and/or their case. (This new AirPods function made our record of hidden iOS 26 options Apple didn’t discuss at WWDC25.)
Public beta testing
For the primary time, Apple may also enable the general public to beta check upcoming AirPods firmware. It can launch the primary public beta containing not less than a few of the options talked about above with the iOS 26 public beta in July.
New options coming to your AirPods this fall
As talked about above, all these new options will come solely to AirPods geared up with Apple’s H2 chip (AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4). Apple may not launch all the brand new AirPods options as a part of the preliminary iOS 26 launch, both. Some might arrive later in an iOS 26 level improve.
