Apple has released a new iOS 18 firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 (Lightning and USB-C) and AirPods 4 (with and without ANC). It’s not yet clear what exactly this firmware does; it could simply be bug fixes, or it could be code needed to enable the new hearing features coming soon with iOS 18.
The AirPods Pro 2 firmware version is 7A302 and the AirPods 4 firmware version is 7A304, up from 7A294. Apple has not yet released any release notes for this update, but they will be available here as soon as they are available.
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 the options until you reach the About section, and look at the Version line. You can also find this information in General > About > [name of your AirPods].
