Apple released firmware updates for eight different devices today, and you can’t even take care of it yourself. Several AirPods and Beats models are receiving firmware updates, as well as, oddly enough, the official Apple MagSafe charger.
Full list of products and their new firmware numbers:
- AirPods 2nd generation: 5E135
- AirPods 3rd generation: 5E135
- AirPods Pro 1st Generation: 5E135
- AirPods Pro 2nd generation: 5E135
- Max AirPods: 5E135
- Power Beats Pro: 5B66
- Beats Fit Pro: 5B66
- MagSafe Charger: 258.0.0.0
What do these firmware updates do? Nobody knows for sure! Apple never speaks. The company maintains a support document for AirPods firmware updates, but each update only talks about “bug fixes and other improvements,” with very few exceptions.
What’s worse, you can’t update the firmware yourself. Firmware updates are delivered when your AirPods are charging and within range of a paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac connected to a Wi-Fi network. Sometimes it happens quickly, sometimes it takes days and it’s impossible to force it.
To check the firmware version of your AirPods or Beats products, go to Settings > Bluetooth, then tap the Info button (i) next to the name of your AirPods. Scroll down to ABOUT section to find the firmware version.
To check the firmware of your MagSafe charger, plug it into a power source and your iPhone. go to Settings > General > ABOUT > Apple MagSafe Charger and look for the firmware version. The MagSafe charger updates the firmware when connected to a power adapter and an iPhone connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Firmware updates for AirPods aren’t uncommon, and Apple probably should have provided a way to force them – even if it’s just long-pressing the firmware version number in settings.