Apple rolling out new beta firmware for AirPods Pro 2 ahead of iOS 18 release next month

3 months ago 30

Apple on Thursday released another new beta firmware for AirPods Pro 2 owners. This firmware is made specifically for users running iOS 18 beta on their iPhone or iPad, as it adds new features such as head gestures.

New AirPods beta firmware

Today’s firmware is version 7.0.290 (7A5290a), while the previous one – released last week – had the build number 7A5266c. Apple doesn’t provide release notes for AirPods beta firmwares, but the company is likely making final tweaks to the new features coming with iOS 18 this fall.

For instance, AirPods Pro 2 will support new head gestures, so that users can accept or reject a call just by shaking their head when wearing AirPods. The new firmware also improves voice isolation in noisy environments, as well as enhancing Custom Spatial Audio for gaming. The beta firmware is exclusive to AirPods Pro 2, as this is the only model to support these new features.

Updating the AirPods firmware is a somewhat obscure process, as there’s no way to do it manually. If your AirPods are already running beta firmware, they’ll automatically download the update when paired with an iPhone connected to the internet.

If you want to install beta firmware on your AirPods for the first time, you need to download Xcode 16 beta to enable the Developer menu on your iPhone or iPad. Then you’ll find the option to install beta firmware on your AirPods. We have a detailed step-by-step guide here. Of course, you need iOS 18 to take advantage of the new AirPods features.

Have you installed the new AirPods Pro 2 firmware? Let us know how it’s working for you in the comments.