AirPods are getting a slew of new features in iOS 26, including the ability to pause if you fall asleep, but the latest beta includes a new feature Apple didn’t tell us about.
As spotted by Minimal Nerd on X, the iOS 26 beta now has a new charging case feature that “more clearly indicates charging status.” Instead of just two colors—green for charged and amber for charging—the latest update brings three colors:
- Green: AirPods are charged
- Yellow: AirPods are charging
- Orange: The case needs to be charged
Based on the image Minimal Nerd supplied, the differences between yellow and orange are slight, but presumably the orange light will only appear when the AirPods are out of the case and the case’s remaining charge dips below a certain percentage, likely 10-20 percent. Now, you’ll know exactly when you need to charge your case, so the next time you pull out your AirPods to listen, you won’t run out of juice in the middle of a run.
The screenshot provided also says that the AirPods case “will remind you when it’s time to charge,” a feature that previously popped up in the iOS 26 beta.
iOS 26 will support AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2. Apple is expected to launch iOS 26 in September alongside the iPhone 17.
