Smart & Connected Life > Headphones & Ear Buds How to Update AirPods Check the Bluetooth section of your iPhone's Settings app to check for new firmware By Sam Costello Sam Costello Facebook Twitter Writer Ithaca College Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 8, 2022 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Update AirPods from an iPhone Update AirPods Manually Do AirPods Need to Be Updated? Frequently Asked Questions What to Know Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the i icon, scroll to About to see which version you have.To auto-update: Place AirPods in their case, connect it to a power source, and place it next to the iPhone.AirPods updates happen automatically, and users don't typically control them. This article explains how to check for what version of AirPods firmware you're running and how to perform an update. The information in this article applies to all AirPods version. How to Update AirPods Firmware from an iPhone To check what firmware version your AirPods are running, and to update AirPods firmware, follow these steps: Connect your AirPods to your iPhone. On the iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth. Tap the i icon next to your AirPods. Scroll down to the About section. The Version line tells you what version of the AirPods firmware you're using. (For earlier models or earlier versions of the iOS, you may need to tap on the name of your AirPods and then look for the Firmware Version line.) If you think there's an update available, you can try to force it to be installed. Notice that there's no button to update AirPods firmware like there is to update the iOS. That's because Apple doesn't allow users to perform this update. Instead, AirPods firmware is automatically updated whenever a new version is available. How to Update AirPods Manually You can also try to force an update. If an AirPods firmware update is available, it will be installed after you follow the instructions below. Put your AirPods in their charging case. Connect the charging case to a power source. Make sure that your AirPods and case are physically close to your iPhone. Do AirPods Need to Be Updated? Yes, AirPods do need updates. However, unlike the iOS and iPhone, it's not as easy to update them, and Apple doesn't release new AirPods firmware versions nearly as often. Firmware is the software that runs on some gadgets and devices to provide their features and functionality. Think of firmware as being like the operating system for devices like AirPods. In the same way that new versions of the iOS deliver features, bug fixes, and updated functionality to the iPhone, new versions of AirPods firmware do the same thing for Apple's wireless earbuds. FAQ How do I update my AirPods' firmware without an iPhone? If you don't have or have access to an iPhone, you can update the firmware for your AirPods using an iPod, iPad, Mac, or MacBook instead. Simply pair the AirPods with your iOS device or macOS device, place them in the charging case, plug in the case, and keep it near your Apple device. Your AirPods should update automatically. How do I update my AirPods from an Android device? It's not currently possible to update AirPods from an Android device. If you don't have access to any Apple devices and you need to update your AirPods, your best course of action is to ask someone you know and trust to sync your AirPods to their Apple device and update them that way. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit