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Beats and AirPods Headphones Shut Off When You Fall Asleep in iOS 26

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If you listen to audio using Beats or AirPods when going to bed, iOS 26 has a useful new feature for you. The update adds a "Pause Media When Falling Asleep" option that is designed to shut off your earbuds when you're no longer awake to listen.

beats studio buds blue
Apple mentioned the feature during its Worldwide Developers Conference, but it was highlighted as an AirPods feature. Code discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser suggests that the option is also available for Beats headphones.

The option to pause audio when asleep will save your spot in an audiobook or a podcast, but it should also preserve battery life by preventing your earbuds from staying on all night.

Pausing audio should be on by default when you install ‌iOS 26‌, but it can be enabled by connecting your headphones to your iPhone and then tapping on them in the Settings app. Apple has not explained how the Beats or AirPods detect that you've fallen asleep.

You'll need ‌iOS 26‌ to use the option, plus updated firmware that Apple is beta testing. ‌iOS 26‌ is limited to developers, but a public beta is coming soon. The update will launch this September.

Top Rated Comments

M
mikes63737
10 months ago
Perfect for meetings!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
U
UltimaKilo
10 months ago
Useful, if it works properly. Otherwise I can see it becoming quite annoying.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maruyama Avatar
maruyama
10 months ago
Saving battery is a distant second to the main thing this would presumably prevent, which is the "clunk ka-clunk clunk" sound effect suddenly waking you up when the batteries are running out.

Charging your AirPods while you eat breakfast is easy; getting back to sleep at 4AM is hard!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F
From Win to Mac
10 months ago

Saving battery is a distant second to the main thing this would presumably prevent, which is the "clunk ka-clunk clunk" sound effect suddenly waking you up when the batteries are running out.

Charging your AirPods while you eat breakfast is easy; getting back to sleep at 4AM is hard!
wait... you're all falling asleep with AirPods on?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
contacos
10 months ago
You all manage to keep them to stick when you are in bed, let alone falling asleep???
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlc1978 Avatar
jlc1978
10 months ago
The best part of the feature is the instant on when you wake part so if it sense you momentarily awake - Wham, instant music...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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