The iOS 26 software update just keeps on giving: Not only has it added upgrades like a favorite places feature in Apple Maps and a battery-saving mode, there’s also something new for your connected AirPods too.
With iOS 26, you’re able to use your AirPods as both remote controls for video recording, and as an external pair of mics too. If you’re recording yourself talking in any scenario, you should end up with a much higher quality result at the end.
This also saves you having to pay money to buy separate remote control and mic accessories. Although top-end equipment will certainly work better than your AirPods, the Apple earbuds should be good enough for most casual users and hobbyists.
What you need
First, you need to make sure your iPhone is updated to iOS 26. To check for any pending updates, open Settings on your iPhone, then tap General > Software Update. And after you’ve tried this AirPods trick, check out other new features in iOS 26.
You’ll also need a pair of compatible AirPods. This works with the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4 (either with or without active noise cancellation). If you haven’t yet connected these to your iPhone, then all you need to do is charge up the AirPods in their case, then bring the case and the earbuds close together.
Choose to pair the AirPods with your iPhone when you see the prompt appear on screen, and you should see them connected to each other within a few seconds. If these are brand new AirPods, you might want to wait a few hours before continuing, just so all the latest firmware updates for the earbuds can be found and applied (this happens quietly in the background, so you don’t need to do anything).
How it works
With the setup out of the way, you should see a new Camera Remote option appear if you tap on your AirPods in iOS Settings. This menu lets you decide whether the remote recording trigger works with a tap on the stem of your AirPods, or with a press and hold on the stem of your AirPods (or you can turn the feature off).
When you open up the Camera app, the new feature should be ready to go—and this trick will work with a variety of third-party camera apps too. Just frame the video (or photo) shot as normal, then use the tap or press and hold gesture on your AirPods to start recording or to take a snap.
To switch to your AirPods for voice input, swipe down from the top right of the display to open Control Center, then tap on the green bar at the top of the screen. Select Audio Input, then choose your AirPods. The multiple recording modes offered by your AirPods will be shown on screen too, so you can choose between them.
What to bear in mind
It’s all very straightforward, and can make a real difference to the quality and professionalism of your video recordings: Just like using AirPods on a video call. Do bear in mind though that your AirPods need to actually be in your ears for this to work (you can’t use them like a Bluetooth remote, for example).
Note that if you do set this up, the other gesture shortcuts for your AirPods will be disabled while you’re recording video or shooting photos. You might lose the ability to skip between media tracks for example, or to activate Siri, but these features will come back once you switch out of the Camera app.
There’s still no way to switch between the cameras on an iPhone when you’re shooting video, so make sure you’ve got the right camera selected to begin with (via the button in the lower right corner). It’s a good idea to get your mic source selected before you start your recording too, so you don’t miss anything.
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