This Week’s iOS 18 Betas Bring New AirPods Pro Firmware | Here’s How to Get It

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Over the past few years, Apple has been releasing beta firmware updates for its AirPods to accompany its developer betas for major iOS releases, and iOS 18 is no exception. If anything, it’s been even more diligent this year about keeping AirPods beta updates rolling throughout the summer.
Each year, at least some of Apple’s AirPods get some nice new features to go with the latest iOS release, but these aren’t only on the iPhone side; the AirPods also need new firmware to support them. Last year, that was Adaptive Audio, and this year, we’re getting some more cool stuff, including hands-free Siri interactions that will let you answer calls by nodding your head and voice isolation so other folks can hear you more clearly when you’re walking down a busy street.
AirPods firmware updates are installed much more quietly than iPhone updates, so most folks won’t even notice this after updating to the iOS 18 release next month. They’re part of the process that happens in the background for everyday users. While you can check the firmware version from the AirPods settings on your iPhone, you can’t do much to make them update — any available updates will just get downloaded to your AirPods on their own schedule.
However, that’s not the case for beta firmware updates. Since you can’t roll back to an older version, Apple wants to ensure you know what you’re getting into before you install the beta, so you have to jump through some hoops to opt in before your AirPods can receive the update.
How to Install AirPods Pro Beta Firmware
The first thing to remember is that the AirPods beta firmware is for developers only. If you’re in the public iOS 18 beta program, you’ll have to wait until next month to get the new features.
Secondly, since the most significant new features are only coming to the second-generation AirPods Pro (Lightning or USB-C), there are no beta firmware updates available for other models. So, there’s no point in opting into the AirPods beta unless you’re using the latest AirPods Pro.
Lastly, this is still developer beta firmware. Expect problems. At the very least, you may get horrible battery life, and there’s no going back once you’ve installed the beta firmware.
With all that in mind, I’ve been running the developer beta firmware on my AirPods Pro for the past six weeks, and other than absolutely horrible battery life in the second beta (build 7A244b), the new features work well, and the listening experience has been stable.

This week, Apple released another beta update for the AirPods Pro alongside the latest iOS 18 betas. It has a build number of 7A266c, and it seems to have improved battery life so far without introducing any new problems.
Getting the beta firmware onto your AirPods isn’t nearly as simple as updating your iPhone, but here’s how to do it if you’re interested in trying out the new features.
- If you haven’t already done so, sign up for the Apple Developer Program by visiting developer.apple.com, signing in with your Apple ID, and accepting the terms and conditions. You do not need to enroll in the paid developer program.
- Ensure you’re running the latest iOS 18 beta on your iPhone.
- Download and install the latest Xcode 16 beta from the Apple Developer Resources page.
- Launch the Xcode 16 beta.
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac using an appropriate USB cable. If this is the first time you’ve connected your iPhone to your Mac, you may need to select “Trust this Computer” and enter your passcode when prompted.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down to the bottom, select Developer Mode, and toggle it on.
- Select Restart when prompted and wait for your iPhone to restart.
- Unlock your iPhone after it reboots. You should see a prompt confirming that you want to turn on developer mode. Select Turn On and enter your passcode when prompted.
Once Developer Mode is enabled, you’ll have a new Developer section in the Settings app that lets you enable AirPods beta firmware, among other things. Here’s how to find it.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll to the bottom and select the Developer option.
- Scroll down and select Pre-Release Beta Firmware under “AirPods Testing.”
- A list of all AirPods associated with your iPhone will appear on the next screen. Toggle on the ones you’d like to receive beta firmware updates for.
After that, you get to play the waiting game. As with public AirPods firmware updates, there’s no way to force your AirPods to get the beta firmware. The settings above tell your iPhone to look for and install the beta firmware on your AirPods rather than the last public release, but it still has to go through the normal process. As Apple notes, firmware updates are installed in the background when your AirPods are in your charging case and near the iPhone, so leave them near your iPhone for a while, and the latest beta firmware should eventually show up.
You can check the firmware version on your AirPods by opening the case, going into the Settings app, and selecting them from there. The firmware version is shown near the bottom, below the serial number. Tapping on this will also show the version of the firmware installed on your AirPods case. As of this writing, that should be 70.78.0 to accompany 7A266c.
Once the new beta firmware is installed, a new Head Gestures section should appear in your AirPods Pro settings. You may also see a welcome screen pop up letting you know about this feature the next time you put on your AirPods Pro, but if not, you can toggle it on from the settings and customize the gestures.
You can choose between “up and down” and “side to side” for accepting calls and replying to messages or declining calls and dismissing notifications and messages. There’s also a Try Head Gestures… option so you can see how it works.
Other new features like enhanced audio will just work without tweaking any settings, while Voice Isolation is an existing iPhone feature that the new firmware expands to your AirPods Pro.