Overview
- Apple rolled out beta firmware build 9B5043a to developers on Tuesday, extending a recent series of incremental AirPods beta releases.
- The update is available for multiple models including AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, AirPods 5, and AirPods Max 2 according to coverage of the rollout.
- Apple does not publish change logs for AirPods firmware so the specific fixes or features in 9B5043a are unknown and must be learned from hands-on reports.
- Testers can opt into the AirPods beta from the AirPods settings on devices running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later and firmware installs automatically when the case is powered and left in Bluetooth range, a process that can take hours.
- Previous beta builds (for example 9A348 and 9B5042a) have both enabled new iOS-level AirPods features and delivered routine stability fixes, so this release could unlock OS-tied features for testers while complicating diagnosis because changes remain opaque.