macOS Sequoia Lets You Customize AirPods Audio in System Settings

macOS Sequoia expands a long-existing accessibility feature on the iPhone and iPad to the Mac: Headphone Accommodations.

macOS Sequoia Headphone Accommodations
On the macOS Sequoia beta, the Headphone Accommodations options are in the System Settings app under Accessibility → Audio. The settings allow you to customize the audio for all AirPods and select Beats headphones. For example, Apple says you can amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies to help music, phone calls, and more sound more crisp.

When a user configures Headphone Accommodations settings for second-generation AirPods Pro on macOS, the adjusted audio will persist when the headphones are connected to other audio sources, according to a note on Apple's developer website.

These settings were previously only available in the Settings app on the iPhone and iPad.

macOS Sequoia is currently in beta for developers, with a public beta to follow in July. The update will likely be widely released in September or October.

Related Roundup: macOS Sequoia
Related Forum: macOS Sequoia

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
disney

Disney+ Loses 700,000 Subscribers Following Price Increase

Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:34 pm PST by
Disney+ lost 700,000 subscribers worldwide in recent months, according to Disney's earnings results for the first quarter of 2025. Disney said it now has 124.6 million Disney+ subscribers, a decrease of 0.7 million compared to its subscriber numbers in the fourth quarter of 2024. The drop in subscribers comes after Disney+ prices increased in the fall. Disney+ with Ads went from $7.99 to...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses to Expand to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday February 5, 2025 6:27 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in...

Top Rated Comments

ignatius345 Avatar
8 months ago

Seriously, anybody over 40 with AirPods, regardless of whether you think you've got any hearing deterioration or not: do a full (free) hearing test with the mimi hearing test app, save the audiogram it generates, go into Accessibility>Headphone Accommodations, select Tune Audio for: Audiogram and upload the audiogram you generated from mimi. Your iPhone/Mac will then slightly boost frequencies that you may have lost some sensitivity to. Basically it corrects the sound to what it should sound like, based on your personal hearing profile.

My hearing's still pretty good for my age, but listening to music this was still transformational for me, I rediscovered so much detail in songs that I'd forgotten was there. At least try it!
Great advice. This is an amazing feature. I'm middle aged, and the Headphone Accomodations really fills out the highs for me that have gone flat with deterioration in my hearing over time.* I think Apple undersells this feature by having it buried in Accessibility. It's a lot more powerful than having a simple EQ to futz with.

* And now, a lecture: for you younger people, for the love of god use some hearing protection before you go out to super loud music venues. I seriously cringe when I remember how in my 20s I sonically raw-dogged a ton of punk shows and didn't think a thing of it when I'd walk out with my ears ringing. Now I've got a little tinnitus, which is awful, and generally my hearing is in worse shape than if I'd been smarter back then. They make really nice earplugs now which are acoustically neutral, but even jamming some wadded up tissue in there in a pinch is better than nothing.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NightFox Avatar
8 months ago
Seriously, anybody over 40 with AirPods, regardless of whether you think you've got any hearing deterioration or not: do a full (free) hearing test with the mimi hearing test app, save the audiogram it generates, go into Accessibility>Headphone Accommodations, select Tune Audio for: Audiogram and upload the audiogram you generated from mimi. Your iPhone/Mac will then slightly boost frequencies that you may have lost some sensitivity to. Basically it corrects the sound to what it should sound like, based on your personal hearing profile.

My hearing's still pretty good for my age, but listening to music this was still transformational for me, I rediscovered so much detail in songs that I'd forgotten was there. At least try it!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
8 months ago
Four years later this accessibility feature finally makes it to MacOS. It’s a very useful feature for users who have some hearing issues.


In iOS 14, Apple continues to build out its extensive accessibility features, and here we're going to show you how you can use the new Headphone Accommodations to amplify certain sounds if you're having difficulty hearing them.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jblank Avatar
8 months ago

I can't think of anything less cumbersome than "it happens without you doing anything at all".

Except when it doesn't. There's innumerable examples of people whose Airpod Pro's won't upgrade. I'm one of the lucky ones who can prompt an update 100% of the time but the "it just happens" isn't universal. Channels like Zollotech on YT have talked about the process being problematic for some people. Also, some people experience bugs, the products aren't infallible, and I'm sure they'd like to apply bug fixes asap.

People want an update method where the user can initiate it, like on almost every other Apple product, isn't too much to ask and seems to be a common request. So you can laugh emoji if you want but many people would like a better process to be implemented.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jblank Avatar
8 months ago
That's great advice @NightFox. Thanks for posting that.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gjpinc Avatar
8 months ago
It would be super helpful if they would alphabetize everything in system settings...just a thought
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)