Apple Releases New Beta Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 With Head Gestures Support, More

Apple has released updated beta firmware for AirPods Pro 2 with new features that will debut alongside iOS 18. The build number for today's release is 7A5266c.

The software update supports head gestures that can be used to interact with Announce notifications, Voice Isolation, and Personalized Spatial Audio.

The AirPods experience gets even more personal, private, and convenient with Siri Interactions, allowing AirPods Pro (2nd generation) users to simply nod their head yes or gently shake their head no to respond to Siri announcements. For even clearer call quality, Voice Isolation comes to AirPods Pro, ensuring the caller's voice is heard in loud or windy environments. AirPods updates also provide the best wireless audio latency Apple has ever delivered for mobile gaming, and add Personalized Spatial Audio for even more immersive gameplay.


Important
Once installed on your AirPods, the beta software cannot be removed. Your device will continue to run this software until an updated non-beta software version is released. In the meantime, you will automatically receive any additional beta software updates as long as you have enabled your AirPods to receive them using the installation steps below.

Prerequisites
● iPhone running iOS 18 beta software
● Mac running macOS 15 beta and Xcode 16 beta software
● AirPods that are supported

Enrollment instructions
1. Pair your AirPods with your iPhone and verify they're connected.
2. Connect your iPhone to Mac with Xcode beta open. When prompted, click 'Allow device to connect' on Mac and 'Trust Computer' on iPhone.
3. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Security. Under Security, enable Developer Mode and follow the prompts to restart your iPhone and enter your password.
4. Disconnect iPhone from the Mac, then reconnect it. You may also need to close and reopen Settings.
5. Developer Settings will now appear at the bottom of the Settings menu. Open Developer > Pre - Release Beta Firmware, then select the toggle for the AirPods device to be enrolled.
6. Read and follow the onscreen instructions for enrolling into the beta program. Please be patient as it may take up to 24 hours to receive these updates.

Log collection
● By default, log collection on your AirPods is turned off. To enable log collection, in the Pre-Release Beta Firmware menu, select the toggle to enable/disable log collection. Your log collection selection will be sent to your AirPods upon your next connection.
● If enabled, log collection will automatically turn off after 4 days.


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