Apple Suddenly Reveals The Best Way To Update AirPods. Oh, Finally

Apple regularly updates the features and capabilities of its products. But for its headphones—AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max—ensuring your product was bang up-to-date has been a haphazard mystery. Now, at last, Apple has released official instructions for what to do.

Why does this matter? Because the new features Apple adds are often worth getting hold of in a hurry. For instance, though there were no new AirPods Pro this year, the current model had a great software upgrade that included a Hearing Test and the capability for them to be used as hearing aids—including expanding to new countries in the coming weeks—which only kick in if you have the latest firmware on board.

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So, the arrival of a step-by-step guide from Apple itself to indicate exactly how to successfully upgrade your headphones to the latest software is very welcome. First, because it comes from Apple, so you know it’s accurate, and second because it finally—finally—takes away the worry that you weren’t doing it right.

The instructions come in the form of a revised support page about AirPods firmware updates. It tells you which version you should be on, from the latest AirPods 4 and second-generation AirPods Max right back to the original release, here called AirPods 1, before explaining how to check your firmware version (spoiler: look in Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad or System Settings > Bluetooth on your Mac).

And then there are the instructions themselves. They’re in the support document but they balance the obvious (Make sure that your AirPods are in Bluetooth range of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac that's connected to Wi-Fi. Put your AirPods in their charging case and close the lid,” with the all-new.

For instance, we never knew this but for an efficacious and speedy update you need to “Plug the charging cable into your charging case, then plug the other end of the cable into a USB charger or port. Keep the lid of the charging case closed, and wait at least 30 minutes for the firmware to update.”

Those are the instructions for the AirPods and AirPods Pr and frankly, they’re very helpful. For AirPods Max, assuming they’re in range of your iPhone, iPad or Mac, the key is to: “Plug the charging cable into the bottom-right earphone, then plug the other end of the cable into a USB charger or port. Wait at least 30 minutes for the firmware to update.”

You’re welcome to bookmark this page if it helps to come back to in the future. Meantime, happy updating.

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