iOS 26 Could Bring Sleep Detection, Camera Controls, and New Gestures to AirPods

The iOS 26 and macOS 26 updates could bring several new features to the AirPods, including sleep detection features and camera control options, reports 9to5Mac. The AirPods features would be introduced through firmware updates that would accompany Apple's new software.

Here's what's rumored:

• New head gestures - Apple could add new head gestures, such as a gesture for adjusting the volume of Conversation Awareness. Last year, Apple added a nod and a head shake to answer or decline calls.
• Auto-pause for sleep - The AirPods could pause audio when the wearer falls asleep, presumably using sleep data gleaned from the Apple Watch, as the AirPods have no sleep detection functionality.
• Camera trigger - Apple is planning to add trigger functionality to the AirPods, capturing an image on a linked iPhone with a press on the AirPods stem. It's possible this might work with a timer so the iPhone user isn't touching an ear when the photo is taken.
• Microphone enhancement - AirPods could get a "studio quality" microphone mode that's similar to the Audio Mix feature on iPhone that lets users choose from sound recording options like studio and cinematic.
• Better pairing - Apple is apparently working on a feature that would improve how AirPods pair with shared iPads for use in the classroom.

It is not clear if these rumored features would work across all AirPods models or if some features might be limited to the AirPods Pro. 9to5Mac warns that Apple could "choose to delay or tweak" the AirPods features before they are announced.

Apple is also expected to introduce a live translate feature for the AirPods, which would translate in-person conversations from one language to another.

Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote kicks off on Monday, June 9, and Apple plans to unveil ‌iOS 26‌ and macOS 26. That's where we're likely to hear additional details about any new AirPods functionality that's coming alongside the software updates.