If you have AirPods, then you must have encountered your CarPlay blasting music all of a sudden, even when you are wearing the accessory or have not gotten into the car yet, which can be frustrating for some users. Apple just introduced iOS 26 yesterday, and while the software update is bringing tons of improvements, it is also taking away this nuisance for its users. With the help of a new setting, the audio would not automatically be played on the car speakers.
iOS 26 brings a new setting to stop CarPlay from auto-playing audio and let users have more control over it
With the iOS 26 update, Apple intends to make processes smarter and leverage AI capabilities to bring some common sense into some of the features. Those who are not keen on the instant connectivity of CarPlay with AirPods would be relieved to know that the tech giant is putting an end to it by introducing a new setting meant to prevent the audio from automatically playing out, and you can now keep the audio in your earphones if that is your preference.
Apple says that AirPods will now understand what you want and apply better logic regarding auto-switching. While this addition to the latest software update could seem meager, it greatly affects the user experience. All you have to do is go to the Settings option on your iPhone. From there, you tap on General and scroll down to where AirPlay and Continuity are displayed. Lastly, you select the turn-on option for Keep Audio in Headphones, and by following these simple instructions, you will have greater control over your audio.
If you are using AirPods, the phone will no longer switch the audio to your car or speaker simply because it is connected. Apple shed more light on this:
When using AirPods or other connected headphones, keep audio in your headphones when other playback devices like cars and speakers connect to iPhone.
While some of the quirks may continue since the connection between AirPods and other devices is quite fragile, and sometimes macOS could display a message of connectivity despite that not happening, it is still good to see Apple pushing for a better user experience.
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