Overview

• The option appears in Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity as “Keep Audio with Headphones.”
• When enabled, music, podcasts, and calls continue in wireless headphones even after the iPhone connects to a car’s Bluetooth or CarPlay.
• Users can still route sound to the car stereo at any time via Control Center or the CarPlay interface.
• The feature also helps at home by stopping unwanted jumps to nearby Bluetooth speakers and it works with non‑Apple headphones.
• MacRumors first highlighted the setting, which The Verge reported after spotting the coverage, and it is available now in iOS 26 released last month.