Apple in July 2021 began offering beta firmware for the AirPods Pro, with the software available for Apple Developer program members.

AirPods Pro Beta Firmware
‌AirPods Pro‌ firmware betas are limited to developers and are quite tricky to install, with an installation guide available below.

Note: Installing the firmware in an unauthorized way can put the ‌AirPods Pro‌ into an unusable state that necessitates an out-of-warranty repair, so non-developers should not attempt to install the software.

Install the AirPods Pro Firmware Profile on iPhone

  1. On your iPhone, go to the Apple Developer website, log in, and navigate to the downloads section.
  2. Tap on the carrot in the upper right corner and then tap on "More."
  3. Scroll down to "‌AirPods Pro‌ beta" and tap on "View Details."
  4. Tap on the iOSAirPodsProSeed.mobileconfig configuration profile.
  5. Tap on "Allow" to install it, and select the ‌iPhone‌. airpods firmware configuration profile
  6. Open up the Settings app and tap on "Profile Downloaded," then tap on "Install" and enter your passcode.
  7. Tap on "Install" again then tap on "Done."

Connect AirPods Pro to iPhone

  1. With the ‌AirPods Pro‌ near the ‌iPhone‌, open up the ‌AirPods Pro‌ case.
  2. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ should pair automatically to the ‌iPhone‌.

Use Xcode to Allow AirPods Pro to Receive Beta Software

  1. Make sure you have the latest beta version of Xcode installed. It can be downloaded from the Apple Developer website.
  2. After installing the ‌AirPods Pro‌ firmware configuration profile and then connecting the ‌AirPods Pro‌ to the ‌iPhone‌, connect the ‌iPhone‌ to a Mac with the appropriate USB to Lightning cable.
  3. Launch the Xcode beta app. You don't actually need to do anything with the Xcode app beyond opening it up.
  4. On the ‌iPhone‌, open up the Settings app, tap on the Developer section, and choose Pre-Release Beta Firmware.
  5. Locate the ‌AirPods Pro‌ in the list of paired devices. airpods pro pre release firmware
  6. Tap to turn on automatic beta software updates for the appropriate ‌AirPods Pro‌ in the list.

Install the Beta Firmware

After tapping to turn on software updates, tap on "Agree" to agree to Apple's Legal Consent form. From there, your ‌AirPods Pro‌ will be ready to receive the firmware.

pre release firmware toggle on
Firmware installation is not automatic and it can take up to 24 hours for the beta firmware to be installed on ‌AirPods Pro‌ after opting in.

To get the firmware to install, Apple says that the AirPods should be connected to the ‌iPhone‌ and then the case hinge should be closed to trigger the update.

You can check to see if your ‌AirPods Pro‌ have been updated with the new firmware by connecting them, tapping into the "Bluetooth" section of the Settings app and tapping on the "i" button. The number under version will let you know which update you have installed.

Removing AirPods Pro Firmware

  1. Open up the Settings app.
  2. Tap on General.
  3. Tap on "Profiles & Device Management."
  4. Tap "‌AirPods Pro‌ Firmware Profile." airpods pro firmware remove
  5. Tap "Remove Profile."

Once you uninstall the profile, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ will not receive new beta software updates, but will continue to have beta software installed until the next release of nonbeta software is available.

AirPods Firmware Warnings

After installing beta firmware on the ‌AirPods Pro‌, there is no way to downgrade to a release version of the firmware.

Apple says that once the ‌AirPods Pro‌ firmware has been installed, it's important not to put un-updated earbuds into the charging case because they may be updated with the firmware.

As mentioned above, Apple also warns that attempting to install the ‌AirPods Pro‌ firmware in an unauthorized manner could put the ‌AirPods‌ in an unusable state, which would necessitate an out-of-warranty repair.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

calys Avatar
calys
4 days ago at 01:08 pm
step 1: don’t.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ytk Avatar
ytk
4 days ago at 09:01 pm
You all seriously gotta try this, I installed this firmware on my AirPods and now I can hear colors!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bazooka-joe Avatar
Bazooka-joe
4 days ago at 01:51 pm
I think I will be giving this a miss
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
happydude Avatar
happydude
4 days ago at 01:49 pm
apple using their followers as guinea pigs in the most glaring example. cannot see any reason to install this.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Biglethal69 Avatar
Biglethal69
4 days ago at 04:46 pm
Macrumors REALLY why would you even post this its for Developers and if you’re a developer you would know how to install it Already so I can’t understand why you would want to give this to the general public and could end up bricking their Airpods. POOR choice of story……. Just my 2 cents.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nautilus007 Avatar
Nautilus007
4 days ago at 01:35 pm

step 1: don’t.
Any normal person who does this is living on the edge - updating AirPods firmware normally is a hassle can't imagine using beta firmware.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Top Stories

airtag with cup

How to Check Your AirTags Firmware Version

Thursday June 3, 2021 1:30 pm PDT by
Like most Apple products, AirTags are able to be updated with new software over-the-air, with Apple able to push new firmware when required. Apple in June released the first AirTags firmware update with anti-stalking security enhancements that will decrease the intervals in which an AirTag separated from its owner will play a sound. You can see if you have new firmware installed by checking...
Read Full Article • 59 comments
macbook airpods iphone

AirPods: How to Automatically Switch Between Devices

Monday September 28, 2020 2:00 pm PDT by
Apple in September 2020 issued an update for AirPods and some Beats-branded headphones that allows them to automatically switch between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac depending on which device you want to listen to. For example, if you’re listening to another device with your AirPods but you want to listen to your iPhone instead, start playing music, a podcast, or other audio on your iPhone,...
Read Full Article
airpods audio switching

How to Stop AirPods From Automatically Switching to Other Devices

Friday April 2, 2021 10:40 am PDT by
Apple in 2020 issued an update for AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and some Beats-branded headphones that allows them to automatically switch between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac depending on which device you want to listen to. Say you're listening to another device with your ‌AirPods‌ but you want to listen to your ‌iPhone‌ instead. If you start playing music, a podcast, or other...
Read Full Article
iOS 15 banner public beta red

How to Install the iOS 15 Public Beta

Wednesday June 30, 2021 11:11 am PDT by
After promising to release iOS and iPadOS 15 to the public in July, Apple today seeded new iOS and iPadOS 15 beta updates to its public beta testing group, giving them the opportunity to try out the new software ahead of its fall launch. Signing up to get the iOS and iPadOS 15 beta is super easy, and can be done by enrolling an iPhone or iPad in Apple's free Apple Beta Software Program....
Read Full Article • 47 comments
spatialaudiofeature

How to Use Spatial Audio on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max

Monday September 28, 2020 1:52 pm PDT by
Spatial audio is a sonic feature exclusive to AirPods Pro and AirPods Max that adds surround sound to Apple's premium audio wearables. By utilizing dynamic head tracking, it brings a theater-like audio experience to the movie or video you're watching, so that it seems as if the sound is coming from all around you. Spatial audio uses the gyroscope and accelerometer in your ‌AirPods Pro or...
Read Full Article
macos monterey beta

How to Install the macOS Monterey Public Beta

Thursday July 1, 2021 10:56 am PDT by
Apple has made a macOS 12 Monterey beta available for its public beta testing group, letting public beta testers try out the software before it launches this fall. The ‌macOS Monterey Public Beta is available to anyone with a compatible Mac and it does not require a developer account. This guide walks you through some simple steps on installing the beta software. Before downloading the...
Read Full Article • 50 comments
iOS 15 Focus Feature

iOS 15: How to Create a Focus

Monday July 19, 2021 11:47 am PDT by
In iOS 15, Apple introduced a new Focus feature that aims to help reduce distractions and let you zone in on a single thing. Focus does this by filtering notifications based on what you're doing. With Focus, you can set your device to help you be in the moment by creating a custom Focus or selecting a suggested one based on the context, like during work hours or while you're winding down for ...
Read Full Article • 26 comments
shared with you safari

iOS 15: How to See All the Web Links Shared With You in Messages

Monday July 19, 2021 11:40 am PDT by
iPhone and iPad users enjoy sharing web links with each other over Apple's Messages app, and in iOS 15, Apple has acknowledged this popularity by adding a new section in the Safari app called Shared with You. If someone shares a web URL with you in the Messages app, it will show up in Shared with You in Safari. You can find this new section as a display option in the main Start Page that's...
Read Full Article
iOS 15 Focus Feature

iOS 15: How to Activate a Focus

Wednesday July 21, 2021 3:47 pm PDT by
Apple's new Focus feature in iOS 15 lets you set your device to help you be in the moment by creating a custom Focus or selecting a suggested one based on the context, like during work hours or while you're winding down for bed. You can activate a Focus on your iPhone when you want to reduce distractions and give over your attention to a single thing. Simply launch the Control Center by ...
Read Full Article
iOs 15 Photos Feature

iOS 15: How to Correct Errors in the Photos People Album

Monday July 12, 2021 4:56 pm PDT by
Regular users of Apple's Photos app will be undoubtedly familiar with the People album, which tries to identify faces in your pictures so that you can label people with their proper names and use that label as an organizing element in your library or as a discoverable tag. Most Photos app users will also know that Apple's on-device face recognition isn't always totally accurate, and there...
Read Full Article