In iOS 26, you can now prevent audio from the Airpods from being automatically picked up by other Bluetooth speakers—including car speakers.
If you use AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones, it can happen that other Bluetooth speakers in the vicinity simply take over the audio. These then “hijack” the iPhone’s audio stream, so to speak. In the worst case scenario, others can now hear what was only intended for you—loudly playing in the speakers that have stolen the connection from your AirPods.
