Apple AirPods May Get New Features at WWDC 2025 – Head Gestures, Camera Control, Sleep Detection & More

As WWDC 2025 kicks off on June 9, Apple is expected to unveil its next-gen operating systems — but that’s not all. According to a new report from 9to5Mac, Apple may also introduce five new features for AirPods during the keynote.

Here’s what could be coming to AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4, and future models:

🔹 New Head Gestures:

Expanding on the existing Announce Calls/Notifications gestures, users may soon be able to control Conversation Awareness volume adjustments using subtle head movements—like nodding or shaking—to return to original noise-control settings or end the adjustment.

🔹 Camera Control via AirPods' Stem:

A new Camera Control feature could let users snap a photo using their iPhone or iPad camera simply by pressing the AirPods' stem — ideal for hands-free photography.

🔹 Sleep Auto-Pause:

A much-requested feature, AirPods may gain sleep detection to automatically pause music or audio playback when the user falls asleep.

🔹 Audio Mix Support:

Apple could bring its machine learning-based Audio Mix tech (introduced with the iPhone 16 series) to AirPods. This feature separates voice and background sound with options like In-frame, Studio, and Cinematic modes — potentially offering a studio-quality mic mode for clearer voice capture.

🔹 Improved Pairing on Shared iPads:

Perfect for educational settings, Apple is reportedly working on a more seamless AirPods pairing experience for shared iPads, making it easier for multiple users to connect without the hassle.

If Apple reveals these features next week, it would mark a major upgrade to the AirPods ecosystem, blending usability, accessibility, and smart automation.