On the WWDC25 keynote, Apple introduced a brand new AirPods characteristic that might allow the headphones to pause once they sense that their wearer has fallen asleep. However it’s now been found that the operate is a bit more versatile than that means.
A contributor to the tech web site MacRumors has found code that signifies the characteristic is tied to iOS 26, moderately than the AirPods line particularly, and suggests that it’s going to work on Apple’s Beats headphones too. An excellent factor, because the Beats line-up is broader than the AirPods one and, within the type of the $70 Beats Flex and $80 Beats Solo Buds, boasts two choices far cheaper than even probably the most fundamental AirPods.
When you’re operating iOS 26, a brand new choice to “Pause Media When Falling Asleep” will seem (and must be enabled by default, though this may be toggled within the Settings app as soon as headphones are related). With this characteristic activated, any audio that’s enjoying by way of your headphones will pause while you drift off, saving your home in a podcast or playlist. It should additionally shut off your headphones and thereby protect battery life.
Apple has not but revealed how headphones are capable of sense when the wearer is asleep, nor have any clues to this been found in beta code. One pair of Apple headphones, the Powerbeats Professional 2, has the flexibility to watch coronary heart fee, which might seemingly be sufficient, however not one of the different fashions do. Actually, the monitor and sensor arrays fluctuate extensively throughout the Beats and AirPods ranges, so it’s onerous to see how one technique may very well be utilized to all of them. We don’t count on the characteristic to increase to third-party headphones, however hopefully Apple will present extra readability quickly.
The brand new characteristic is a part of the brand new iOS 26 iPhone software program replace, however to make use of it you’ll additionally must replace your headphones with new firmware as properly. For AirPods this generally is a barely mystifying course of.
