Apple continues to add useful new features to the AirPods Pro 2, but this latest firmware update is bigger than most: it aims to prepare them for the big iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia update coming next week.
The new firmware version is 7A294 (the previous version was 6F8) and it is available for both Lightning and USB-C variants of the 2nd generation AirPods Pro. Apple describes the update as follows:
When used with iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, AirPods Pro 2 firmware update 7A294 makes the hands-free experience even smoother by letting you nod “yes” or shake your head “no” to respond to Siri announcements like calls, messages, and notifications.
This update also adds Voice Isolation to calls with AirPods Pro 2 to help you be heard clearly by canceling out background noise around you for the person you’re talking to.
Gamers now also benefit from Apple’s best-ever wireless audio latency for mobile gaming and can enjoy improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48 kHz audio, when chatting with teammates and other players.
Additionally, this update includes performance improvements to custom volume with AirPods Pro 2.
In other words, this is the firmware that adds all the previously announced new features to the AirPods Pro. At its September “Glowtime” event, Apple unveiled other new features, including hearing protection, a clinical-grade hearing test, and a hearing aid feature. These will be available in a software update later this year.
There’s no way to force the upgrade to the new firmware. It will install automatically when the AirPods are in their case and charging. It can take hours or even days to get the latest firmware. If you haven’t used your AirPods in a while, taking them out of their case and using them for a few minutes before putting them back in the charger can speed things up.
To see what firmware version your AirPods are running, you can open the Settings app, select your connected AirPods (at the top), scroll down through all the options until you see About section, and look at the Version line. You can also find this information in General > About > AirPods Pro.
