Stop CarPlay From Hijacking Your AirPods With This iPhone Setting
▼ Summary
– Apple has introduced a “Keep Audio with Headphones” feature in iOS 26 to prevent audio from automatically switching to car speakers when starting a vehicle.
– This setting is located in the iPhone’s Settings app under General > AirPlay & Continuity and works with any wireless headphones connected to the iPhone.
– Enabling the option keeps audio playing through wireless headphones even after the iPhone connects to Bluetooth speakers or CarPlay-compatible stereos.
– Users can still manually switch audio to their car stereo at any time using iOS Control Center or the CarPlay interface.
– All other CarPlay features remain accessible while audio is routed to headphones, allowing full functionality of the system.
If you’ve ever been startled when your favorite AirPods playlist suddenly blasts through your car speakers upon starting the engine, there’s now a straightforward fix. Apple’s latest iOS update introduces a clever setting designed to prevent this exact scenario, ensuring your audio stays with your wireless headphones even when CarPlay activates. This feature works seamlessly with AirPods and other Bluetooth headphones paired to your iPhone.
To activate this functionality, open your Settings application and proceed to the General section. From there, select AirPlay & Continuity where you’ll discover the ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’ toggle. Enabling this option ensures your music, podcasts, or calls continue playing through your headphones after your iPhone connects to CarPlay systems or other Bluetooth audio devices.
This setting doesn’t permanently lock your audio to your headphones. You maintain full control to switch playback to your car’s stereo whenever you prefer using either the Control Center or the CarPlay interface itself. All other CarPlay capabilities remain fully accessible while your phone’s audio output directs to your headphones, allowing you to use navigation and communication features without interrupting your private listening experience.
The solution provides the best of both worlds, uninterrupted personal audio when desired and easy switching to car speakers when needed. This eliminates the frustration of unexpected audio routing changes while maintaining the convenience of CarPlay’s full feature set.
(Source: The Verge)
