How to Stop Bluetooth Speakers From Disconnecting Your AirPods

With iOS 26, Apple introduces “Keep Audio with Headphones,” a new setting that puts you in charge of where your music and calls play—so your audio stays right where it belongs: in your ears.

AirPods make switching between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac feel almost magical—but there’s a catch. If you’ve ever had your favorite song or podcast suddenly start playing on your car’s stereo (or another Bluetooth speaker) without warning, you know how disruptive it can be. This common annoyance has left even devoted Apple fans wishing for easier control.

Enter iOS 26: Apple has finally introduced a simple fix for one of the biggest AirPods complaints. The new Keep Audio with Headphones feature lets you keep your audio on your headphones—even when other Bluetooth devices, like car stereos, want to take over.

Introducing “Keep Audio with Headphones”

Before iOS 26, the only real way to stop Bluetooth devices from hijacking your audio was to manually pause playback, wait, and then restart it on your AirPods. It wasn’t ideal.

Now, thanks to Apple’s latest update, you can give your AirPods (or any wireless headphones) top priority. When Keep Audio with Headphones is enabled, your iPhone preven…