Apple plans to begin listing new features and changes in AirPods firmware updates in a forthcoming support document on its website.
In the fifth developer beta of iOS 16, navigating to Settings → General → About → AirPods and tapping on Firmware Version leads to a new page indicating that AirPods firmware details are available at support.apple.com, complete with a link to a support document that will likely be published by the time iOS 16 is publicly released in September.
The new AirPods support document will likely be similar to one that Apple published for AirTag firmware updates earlier this year.
The new AirPods firmware version screen in iOS 16 beta 5 via Reddit
As noted on Reddit, the new Firmware Version page displays the firmware version for both AirPods and the charging cases. The latest firmware version for AirPods was released in May and is listed as "4E71" in the Settings app. There is still no manual way to update the firmware on AirPods, with updates installing automatically.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Good news! Now, having a procedure to force update AirPods would be a nice next step
My AirPod Pros are stuck on a 2 year old firmware and will not update automatically no matter what I do. The Apple Store manually doing it for me is not convenient. I'd even accept having to plug them into a Mac to do it. Just let me do it.
