AirPods gain seven new features with iOS 26

Apple reveals seven new AirPods features tied to iOS 26, expanding how users record control and listen.

Apple expands AirPods features in iOS 26

Apple's iOS 26 introduces seven new AirPods features, expanding how the devices are used beyond listening. The Camera Remote lets you control the iPhone camera from AirPods by pressing and holding the AirPods stem to take a photo or start video, with a second press stopping recording. You enable this in Settings under AirPods.

Studio-quality recording appears on the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, offering cleaner on the go vocals with Voice Isolation to reduce background noise, which can help with interviews, podcasts or video work. Call quality improves across iPhone, iPad and Mac thanks to the H2 chip. A new Pause Media When Falling Asleep option stops playback when you nod off, saving battery and keeping devices ready. The Keep Audio in Headphones setting prevents audio from switching to car speakers during trips, and charging indicators plus a beta firmware update path round out the package.

Apple is turning AirPods into a multitool for creators and daily life. By adding a camera remote, higher quality recording and smoother calls, it weaves AirPods more tightly into everyday work and leisure. The changes also reflect a broader push to keep users inside the Apple ecosystem, making ear buds a more central control surface.

The beta firmware path signals a longer horizon for AirPods features, inviting early users to test new ideas while exposing consumers to bugs or inconsistencies. If the testing goes well, the updates could deepen loyalty; if not, they could slow adoption and feed friction about reliability.

Highlights

The path forward will test how comfortable users feel with an increasingly capable earbud in daily routines.