Over the last two years, AirPods have gotten significantly better thanks to new software updates from Apple. Here’s a rundown of new features you should try that were introduced as part of iOS 18 and iOS 26.
New AirPods features: Head Gestures
Available on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4
Starting with iOS 18, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 users can interact with Siri and incoming notifications by nodding their heads up or down.
Accept a call or reply to notifications and messages: Nod your head up and down.
Decline a call or dismiss notifications and messages: Shake your head side to side.
To use head gestures to interact with Siri, you’ll also need to make sure Announce Calls and Announce Notifications are enabled. Open the Settings app and choose “Notifications” and make sure the “Announce Notifications” setting is turned on.
Once the “Announce Notifications” setting is enabled, here’s how to manage Head Gestures:
With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap your AirPods at the top. Scroll down and tap “Head Gestures” Toggle on the feature and choose which gesture is linked to “Accept, Reply” and “Decline, Dismiss.”
Voice Isolation
Available on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro3, AirPods 4
Voice Isolation is a new feature available for AirPods users that helps ensure the caller’s voice is heard in loud or windy environments. Powered by machine learning and the H2 chip inside, Apple says that this feature isolates and enhances voice quality while removing significant background noise for the listener.
Note that Voice Isolation has been a feature on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac for several years. It’s also, however, supported directly on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4. Here’s how to enable Voice Isolation on your AirPods:
While on a call, swipe down from the top of your screen to access Control Center Tap the “Controls” button at the top of the interface Tap on “Voice Isolation”
Gaming improvements
Available on AirPods 3, AirPods 4, all AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
iOS 18 also added Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking to gaming for the first time. To ensure this feature works for you, open the Settings app, navigate to your AirPods settings, and scroll down to “Personalized Spatial Audio.”
If you haven’t previously set up this feature, you’ll be guided through a process that includes a Face ID-style scan of your ears to personalize the Spatial Audio experience. This feature applies to things like music and videos, and is now applicable to gaming thanks to iOS 18.
iOS 18 also added support for improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio, for chatting with teammates while gaming with AirPods.
Custom Adaptive Audio
Available on all AirPods Pro and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
iOS 18 added more granularity to the Adaptive Audio feature on AirPods. For those unfamiliar, adaptive mode “blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode together to control the level of noise you hear in your headphones based on the changing noise conditions in your environment.”
With iOS 18 and newer, you can now customize Adaptive Audio to better fit your needs and “allow more or less noise.”
With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap your AirPods at the top. Scroll down and tap “Adaptive Audio.” Move the slider left to allow for “Less Noise” when using Adaptive Audio or to the right to allow for “More Noise.”
Hearing Health
Available on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3
Last year, Apple supercharged AirPods Pro with new hearing health features. Now, you take a hearing test with your AirPods Pro to find out if you have hearing loss. You can then use AirPods Pro as a hearing aid if you have mild to moderate hearing loss.
Apple explains:
With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user’s personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings. This first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point.
Learn more:
Live Translation
Available on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Perhaps the biggest feature for AirPods users with iOS 26 is Live Translation. Now, you can wear your AirPods to translate in-person conversations in real-time.
For example, if you speak English and you’re talking to someone who speaks Spanish, you can pop in your AirPods and enable Live Translation to hear what the other person is saying in English.
There are multiple ways to enable Live Translation:
Open the Translate app on your iPhone.
Press and hold the stem on both AirPods at the same time.
Say something like, “Siri, start Live Translation.”
Sleep detection
Available on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4
If you regularly fall asleep wearing your AirPods, iOS 26 has you covered with a new sleep detection. When turned on, this feature will automatically pause what you’re listening to when your AirPods detect you’ve fallen asleep.
To enable sleep detection, follow these steps with your AirPods connected to your iPhone:
Open the Settings app. Tap your AirPods at the top. Scroll down and toggle on: “Pause Media When Falling Sleep.”
Camera Remote
Available on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4
With iOS 26, you can now use your AirPods to take a picture with your iPhone. With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, follow these steps:
Open the Settings app. Tap your AirPods at the top. Scroll down and tap “Camera Remote.” Choose between Off, Press Once, or Press and Hold.
Then, you can use that gesture to take a photo using the Camera app and your AirPods.
“Keep audio with Headphones”
iOS 26 adds a new “Keep Audio with Headphones” setting. This prevents your AirPods audio from automatically getting hijacked by other Bluetooth speakers.
Open the Settings app Tap General Tap ‘AirPlay & Continuity’ Then toggle on ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’
More new AirPods features
Automatic device switching now works with CarPlay. When you arrive at your destination and put in your AirPods before getting out of the car, your audio will magically switch from CarPlay to your AirPods.
now works with CarPlay. When you arrive at your destination and put in your AirPods before getting out of the car, your audio will magically switch from CarPlay to your AirPods. You’ll now get a notification on your iPhone when your AirPods need to be charged.
when your AirPods need to be charged. Better audio recording and voice quality on calls.
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