Apple’s AirPods to feature mind-blowing location tracking upgrade

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Buckle up, because your AirPods are about to become sentient. Well, almost.

Leaked code from an iPhone prototype running iOS 26 reveals that Apple’s ubiquitous earbuds are getting a massive AI glow-up by spring 2026, complete with location tracking so precise it’ll make your stalker ex jealous.

Buried in the iOS 26 code are references to Visual Look Up coming to AirPods.

Yeah, that feature you’ve ignored in Safari and Photos? It’s jumping to your ears, letting you identify objects through your camera, reports Gizmodo.

Pair that with contextual reminders—like “remind me to grab milk when I’m at the store”—and suddenly your AirPods are your new personal assistant who actually pays attention.

The real mind-bender? A mysterious code string called “ConversationBreakthroughVQA” suggests Apple might be cooking up camera-equipped AirPods.

That “VQA” stands for “visual question answering,” a computer vision tech that could let your buds see what you’re looking at.

Creepy? Absolutely. Cool? Also absolutely

Location tracking is getting a serious upgrade too.

Current AirPods Pro 2 can be found within 30-60 feet, but the Pro 3’s U2 Ultra Wideband chip bumps that to 200 feet.

The leaked code hints at “precise outdoor location understanding”—basically AirTag-level accuracy for your earbuds.

Apple’s playing the long game here, weaving AI deeper into its ecosystem while making sure you never lose your $250 earbuds again.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.