iOS 26 Lets You Adjust Volume Straight From Audio Output Picker

One of the more practical UI improvements in iOS 26 is a tiny but meaningful tweak to audio management. You can now control volume right from the audio output picker without diving into Control Center.

As spotted in the iOS 26 Developer Beta 1, the output selection sheet now includes a volume slider under your current output device (like AirPods, HomePod, or iPhone speaker).

The attached image shows this in action while playing “Famous” from The Life of Pablo, where “Cooper’s AirPods Pro” is selected and the volume bar is now visible right beneath.

Redditor u/MudkipDash pointed it out early, noting it removes the need to swipe down to open Control Center every time. Another user, u/Complex-Donkey-7399, highlighted how useful this is especially when switching devices or listening with kids’ AirPlay devices like in the screenshot.

It’s a small feature that makes a big difference to everyday usability—something iOS doesn’t always nail. But this time, Apple clearly got it right.