Apple dropped the iOS 26 beta, and with it we also got a new AirPods firmware beta (8A279d). In this video I break down the three big new features I’m seeing: charging reminders, pause media when I fall asleep, and camera controls. These are the kind of quality-of-life updates that sound small, but they actually change how you use your AirPods day to day—especially if you’re like me and you’re always using them. First up, charging reminders: instead of constantly checking the battery widget or the case LED, iOS can now send you a notification to remind you to charge your AirPods. Then there’s “Pause Media When Falling Asleep,” which I’m personally excited about because I’ve fallen asleep with AirPods in way too many times—either the video keeps playing all night (hello dead phone and hot battery) or things get weird. And my favorite feature here is camera control: you can use an AirPods press gesture as a camera remote to take photos or start/stop video, and it even does a countdown so you’re not stuck holding your ear in the shot. I also show the new Adaptive Audio customization slider, the AirPods beta updates toggle, and a quick AirPods Pro 2 mic sample on iOS 26.