Airpods: Better charging indicator in the case via firmware update

Load my AirPods or do not load them? The charging cases (Charging Case) have an integrated LED to display this, but it is not really understandable. As users of the current Developer Beta 5 of iOS 26 report, Apple is now changing functionality. Instead of two colors there will be three in the future – two of them can only be distinguished nuanced.

Condition even if the cover is closed

An information serving for information Overview screen (Splash screen) appears after the installation of iOS 26 Developer Beta 5 – new firmware also seems to be necessary for the AirPods. In the future, Airpods (as usual) show with a green LED that they are completely loaded. A light orange means that the plugs themselves load themselves. On the other hand, if the orange is darker, this means that the charging cover itself no longer has enough juice and should be supplied with electricity via induction or USB-C cable. Nothing changes in the regular charging process: the AirPods are initially loaded by the internal battery, which in turn has to be fed from the outside.

Regularly, the charging envelope shows the loading status of the AirPods so far when opening the shell: a green LED is called “fully loaded”, it is orange, is less than a full load in the battery of the shell itself. It remains unclear at first. The Splash screen shows a closed charging envelope. The new function is used to “clearly display the state of charge,” continues Apple. The AirPods 4 (which are optionally available with ANC) should run for up to 30 hours with a cowwow. A load without ANC is enough for 5 hours of music, one with up to 4 hours.

Useful new charging notification

Apple had already implemented a new charging level notification in an earlier Beta of iOS 26. Once activated in the battery area, the operating system then reports that it is “time to charge your airpods”. In the future, you no longer have to switch manually to the battery overview, which is available as a widget or in the menu bar on the Mac. A charging status display is currently only briefly when the iPhone is unlocked, it is easily overlooked and there is worst at worst, when you leave the house.

The manufacturer seems to proceed quite intelligently, as beta testers reported: notifications come, for example, if you hang your iPhone on the charger in the evening. So you can then supply both devices with electricity at the same time. But the notifications also come during the day as soon as the Airpods fall below a certain battery level.