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Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware With iOS 27 Features

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Apple today released a third version of the beta firmware it is testing for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware is limited to developers at the current time, and it has a build number of 9A5314b.

AirPods Pro Beta Firmware 2
In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ, so the firmware adds support for those features. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI.

When the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later, there is a beta firmware option that can be accessed in the AirPods settings interface. Toggling on beta updates allows users to install the beta firmware.

Firmware updates can be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no straightforward software update option like there is for other Apple devices.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Max 2, AirPods Pro 3, iOS 27, iPadOS 27
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution), AirPods Max (Buy Now), AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

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Top Rated Comments

BeatsByTim Avatar
BeatsByTim
20 hours ago at 11:22 am
Airpod in one ear, hammer in the other.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrENGLISH Avatar
MrENGLISH
14 hours ago at 05:23 pm
It’s 2026. I don't understand why Apple makes it so difficult for consumers to update their AirPods. 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z
zoomp
20 hours ago at 11:55 am
EQ is a game changer for apple. Finally. How many steps in the EQ? Is it parametric?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lost Hills Avatar
Lost Hills
13 hours ago at 06:13 pm
it will, happened pretty quick for me. 3 band EQ but an amazing improvement at this stage i think
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
nickbatz
19 hours ago at 12:22 pm

EQ is a game changer for apple. Finally. How many steps in the EQ? Is it parametric?
Yup, a major feature if you have any of the AirPods, because they (at least the Pro 2, Pro 3, and Max) have a big dip in the intelligibility range - where hi-hats are, for example - and need it. The lack of it on iPhones has been frustrating me for a long time.

It may be like the 10-band graphic one in the Mac version of Music, but I don't know. However, my understanding is that the iOS 27 EQ settings are stored in the headphones rather than the iPhone, so you need newer AirPods for it to work. That excludes the original AirPods Max. :(

One thing I discovered recently is that if you go into Accessibility-> Audio & Visual -> Headphone Accommodations, there's an Audio Tuning feature with a Brightness setting that make a huge difference. There's no good preset EQ setting among the silly ones in the Music app.

Also, you can use something like the Mimi hearing app to do a hearing test, and then (in the same place) choose an inverse curve. That's not an EQ, but it's something.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
one more Avatar
one more
7 hours ago at 12:15 am
My AP4 ANC are still on 9A304b. Have tried all the usual update rituals, they seem to resist. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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