Apple is bringing back my favorite hidden iPhone photography hack with this AirPods trick

I miss the days of finding a pair of headphones in the box along with my iPhone – not because I love earbuds, but because Apple’s headphones had a hidden hack to remotely control the camera. But with iOS 26, Apple is bringing back one of my favorite iPhone photography hacks, this time, with the wireless AirPods.

Apple teased the ability to control the camera with the gesture controls built into the stem of some AirPod models back in June. But with the recent announcement of an Apple launch event on September 9, I suspect the feature is getting very close to rolling out, as an iOS update often follows shortly after a new phone launch.

Back when Apple used to tuck a pair of wired earbuds into the box of each iPhone, the volume controls could also be used to snap a photo. Naturally, those wired headphones meant photographers still had to be standing close to the camera, but the hack was a good way to minimize camera shake when using a tripod.

Adding the hack to the wireless AirPods will open up even more possibilities. The small AirPods can easily be hidden and have a much farther range than the old plug-in buds.

As developers have gotten access to early previews of iOS 26, iPhone photographers now have a better glimpse at what the feature will look like, beyond the original rumors and Apple’s brief mention of the capability.

The feature looks to be compatible with the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2. The Camera Remote feature will need to be turned on in the settings, according to MacRumors, but then users can choose which gesture to use to trigger a shot, between pressing once or pressing and holding the stem of the headphones.

But there’s another feature that hints that this AirPods Camera Control will be quite useful. Instead of taking just one shot while your finger is up to your ear, the camera uses a three-second timer, and then takes ten photos, increasing the odds that you get a good shot with no blinks.

Besides being handy for capturing selfies without having your arm up awkwardly in the photo, using a remote is also handy for taking long exposures instead of a timer, as touching the phone can introduce unintentional camera shake.

Now, if only headphones were still included in the box.

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