AirPods get new firmware updates all the time, often just to fix minor bugs that affect a small number of users. Other updates provide necessary improvements required to provide new features coming in an iOS update.
Apple just updated AirPods firmware to version 8A358, from 8A357, for all models that have the H2 chip: That includes the just-released AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4 (with and without ANC).
Apple’s AirPods firmware tracking page says this update offers the standard “Bug fixes and other improvements.”
Given the very small increase in version number, it’s likely this addresses minor issues with the newly-released AirPods Pro 3, or helps with the iOS 26.1 update that adds several new languages the Live Translation feature.
There is no way to force your AirPods to update, but we have an article describing how AirPods firmware updates work and how you can urge it along.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor, Macworld
Jason has written about technology for more than 25 years - first in the gaming press, then focusing on enthusiast PCs and general technology. He enjoys learning how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.