AirPods Max Headband Removable With Just a SIM Ejector Tool, Hinting at Interchangeable Headbands

It is possible to remove the headband of AirPods Max with just a standard SIM card ejector tool, hinting at the possibility of interchanging headbands to achieve a different colorway.

airpods max sim ejectorImage via Prelook

In December, MacRumors revealed the large variety of AirPods Max ear cushion color combinations when it became clear that they were magnetically attatched and available for sale separately. Now, it appears that ‌AirPods Max‌ have a more modular design than previously understood, as raised by MacRumors forums member "MayaTlab", who highlighted the tidbit from Chinese YouTube channel Prelook.

As mentioned in iFixit's teardown of AirPods Max, it is possible to easily remove the headband from ‌AirPods Max‌ without any disassembly of the headphones. Users simply need to remove the magnetic ear cushions, fold the earcups flat, and insert a SIM card ejector tool into a small hole above the speaker.

Here's the trick, and the best part: despite the joint's complexity, you can detach the entire headband from AirPods Max with just a SIM card removal tool or paperclip, without even opening the ear cup.

When fully assembled, a little poke in just the right place compresses two tiny springs inside the joint, freeing the clamp that secures the headband.

Once removed, the spokes on either side of the headband reveal a small connector for transferring power, and potentially data, between the earcups. It is also interesting that the connector bears some passing resemblance to the Lightning connector. It seems likely that users could swap the headbands from different ‌AirPods Max‌ units to achieve non-stock colorways much more easily than expected.

Replaceable headbands were one of the features believed to be removed from AirPods Max prior to launch. Before being announced, it was speculated that ‌‌AirPods Max‌‌ would offer unique customizability with interchangeable headbands and earcups, repeating the concept behind Apple Watch bands.

Apple's VP of industrial design Evans Hankey said that Apple prototyped hundreds of AirPods Max designs over a lengthy development period. Amid significant delays, Bloomberg correctly predicted that Apple would drop the concept of a replaceable headband to accelerate production:

Apple has also scaled back some of the interchangeable functionality of the headphones that were a hallmark of the initial concept. The latest version of the product is likely to lack a replaceable headband, but could still include interchangeable ear pads.

It is therefore possible that this system for removing the headband is a remnant of the original, more modular approach to ‌AirPods Max‌. On the other hand, this hidden feature may exist purely to aid repairability, and could not be intended for general user interaction at all.

Nevertheless, it is extremely unusual for headphones that transfer power over the headband to make the part so easily removable. The ease of removing the headband and the small connector on either side looks to be a peculiarly well-developed concept and stands in striking contrast to the otherwise challenging repairability of the device.

Users who wish to attempt removal of the headband from ‌AirPods Max‌ should still take extreme caution as it is not yet clear if this action voids the product's warranty.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Tag: iFixit
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26 Maps Glass

Apple Reportedly Moving Ahead With Ads in Maps App

Sunday October 26, 2025 6:22 am PDT by
Apple Maps could feature integrated ads as soon as next year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple's plan to bring more ads to iOS is moving "gaining traction," with the Maps app being next in line. The project will apparently give restaurants and other businesses the option to pay to have their details featured more prominently in...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:15 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. iOS 26.1 is currently in beta testing. The update will likely be released in the first half of November, and it is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, but some...
swift for android

Developers Can Now Make Android Apps With Apple's Swift

Sunday October 26, 2025 4:23 am PDT by
The first preview release of the Swift SDK for Android was published this week, allowing developers to build Android apps in Swift with official tooling and making it easier to share code across iOS and Android. The SDK enables Android apps to be built in Swift using officially supported tooling rather than community workarounds. In June, it was announced that Apple's Swift programming...

Top Rated Comments

roland.g Avatar
62 months ago
Got it. So. Use your AirPods Max, done listening. Then pull off the cup pads, use your ejector tool to take off the headband, and now you can travel better with them.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unity451 Avatar
62 months ago
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses and removable headbands.” - Henry Ford
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Absrnd Avatar
62 months ago
Funny, when the Max was released, many if not everybody screamed about the fragile headband ( and about the price off course)
and when it gets damaged you are fu**ed :)

and now when it is shown that that "fragile" headband can easily be replaced, they start whining, why would you want to remove that !
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sanlitun Avatar
62 months ago
I salute the guy who decided "Well why not stick something in the little hole and see what happens."
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexjholland Avatar
62 months ago
I suspect version 2 with a long runway and huge user feedback will be a significant leap.

And that's why I'll wait until then to buy a pair.

(Yes, you can apply this to any new Apple product. V1 - V2 is often the biggest jump).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AirunJae Avatar
62 months ago
While I'm annoyed at how expensive they are, they really are quite lovely from a design standpoint. Curious to see how they further develop this line.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)