Frequent users of Apple's earbuds and over-ears know the problem: Empty AirPods when you leave the house. iOS 26 has an antidote.

With your earbuds in your ears, open up the Control Center on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then tap the volume control. You’ll be able to manage the level of noise cancellation based on your environment, and turn Conversation Awareness on or off, which automatically enhances the voices of the person in front of you when you start speaking to them.

If you need to upgrade your old AirPods and gain some new features in the process, The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are on sale for under $120 right now.

When my wife and I travel, we usually download some shows to watch on our flight. But we always have to split a set of AirPods when we watch these shows so we each have one earbud

Coming in at $99, the AirPods 4 are now in the range of many budget earbuds but they offer a premium experience that’s hard to beat. These fourth-generation earbuds have been redesigned to be more comfortable and stable for all-day wear. The new shape and shorter stem sound better and also fit more securely.

We’re likely going to see yet another version of AirPods Pro this September, alongside the launch of the iPhone