Overview
- Apple issued the new builds on December 11, moving AirPods Pro 3 to 8B30 and AirPods Pro 2 to 8B28, replacing 8B25 and 8B21.
- Apple has not published detailed release notes, and its AirPods firmware support page still lists earlier builds as of today.
- The rollout precedes iOS 26.2, which adds Live Translation support in the EU for AirPods, and reporters suggest the new firmware may support that change.
- Firmware installs automatically when the earbuds are in a charging case connected to power and a paired device is on Wi‑Fi with Bluetooth enabled, with no manual update option.
- Users can verify the new version in Settings > Bluetooth > Info, and a persistent AirPods panel in the Settings app can signal that an update is actively installing.