This and four more upgrades could be announced as early as WWDC 2025.
Apple is reportedly developing a range of new software-driven features for its existing AirPods Pro 2 and fourth-generation AirPods models, with the announcements potentially set to be teased at WWDC 2025 next week.
That’s the word of 9to5 Mac, at least, with the outlet suggesting five enhancements: new head gesture controls, automatic playback pausing for sleeping users, improved mic quality, camera control, and streamlining classroom usage.
Improved gesture control
Building on the head gestures introduced last year for managing calls and notifications, Apple is reportedly working on new gesture capabilities.
One reported development includes extending the ‘Conversation Awareness’ feature, potentially allowing users to use a head gesture to restore their original noise-control settings or volume after a conversation-triggered adjustment.
Auto-pausing media when sleeping
A significant convenience feature also rumored is auto-pause for sleeping users. This would enable AirPods to detect when a user has fallen asleep and automatically pause music or podcast playback.
However, it’s not yet clear whether this functionality will be standalone or work in conjunction with sleep detection features on the Apple Watch.
A studio-quality mic
For content creators, Apple is reportedly developing a ‘studio quality’ microphone mode for the earbuds, too.
According to the report, this feature is designed to significantly improve audio input, potentially positioning the wireless earbuds as a viable alternative to dedicated third-party microphones.
Camera control
A new camera control function may allow users to trigger the camera on an iPhone or iPad by clicking the stem of their AirPods, reminiscent of the older EarPods functionality.
Details on whether the AirPods would need to be worn or could be handheld for this feature to work are currently unknown.
Streamlined classroom use
Finally, improvements are reportedly coming to the AirPods pairing experience with shared iPads, specifically targeting classroom environments to reduce friction when multiple students use the same device.
Will we see these land at WWDC 2025?
9to5 Mac suggests that these features are reportedly in development and could be announced as early as next week at the Cupertino giant’s developer conference. However, as ever, the brand may delay the rollout or change details between now and release (assuming the five features do indeed release at some stage).
At the very least, a new set of features would bolster the argument that AirPods Pro 2 are among the best purchases you could have made if bought at their release in 2022. Since then, they’ve received several significant updates, not least the hearing aid support that debuted last September and was rolled out to more regions, like the UK, earlier this year.
