recently iphone starts playing music anytime bluetooth speakers disconnect

Hi,

I've recently noticed some unusual behavior with my iPhone. When no music is playing and I disconnect my AirPods or a Bluetooth speaker, music starts playing from the iPhone’s built-in speaker automatically. To clarify, no music was playing before disconnecting, so it seems like the phone is hitting "play" upon Bluetooth disconnection.

This is particularly frustrating because it often happens when I’m trying to be quiet—like when I remove my headphones to talk to someone or enter a place where music would be inappropriate. It's happened repeatedly over the last few weeks, and while the consequences aren't severe, it does make me appear clumsy in certain situations.

Is this intentional behavior? If so, can it be turned off? Or if it’s a bug, is there a solution?

Much appreciated, and thanks!