The general public can start testing the AirPods beta firmware for the first time through the Apple Beta Software Program starting in July.
Apple announced the news in its press release announcing new AirPods features coming alongside iOS 26 and on the Apple Beta Software Program page. Apple will also release the first-ever public beta of the HomePod software in July, alongside public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26 and watchOS 26.
Unlike developer-only betas that are only available to paid members of the Apple Developer Program, anyone can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program by signing in with their Apple account at beta.apple.com.
First-ever public software betas for the AirPods and the original HomePod are coming in July
Beta firmware is currently restricted to the HomePod mini and only available with an invite through a developer-only program, called AppleSeed. But this will be the first time that the original HomePod is included in the Apple Beta Software Program.
If you have the iOS 26 developer beta installed, the corresponding AirPods beta firmware will install automatically when your AirPods are in their charging case plugged into power and the paired iPhone is nearby and connected to the Internet.
iOS 26 brings several new features for AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 owners, such as remote camera trigger, sleep detection, CarPlay switching, higher-quality audio for calls, as well as studio-quality audio recording for interviews, podcasts and videos.
For the first time ever, iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26 finally show the user that a new firmware update is available for their AirPods so that they can manually choose to apply it instead of waiting for automatic updates to eventually kick in.
Should you install prerelease software?
Unless you’re a developer, you won’t be able to enjoy the new AirPods and HomePod features until the software updates are released to the public in the fall. But with public AirPods and HomePod betas coming in July, anyone will be able to take prerelease features for a spin before it’s widely available. As a precaution, keep in mind that prerelease software is buggy and can lead to issues with your AirPods or HomePod. Install these betas on your earbuds and smart speaker at your own risk.
How to get AirPods beta firmware
iOS 26 has also simplified the enrollment process for AirPods betas, which no longer requires Xcode and putting your iPhone in Developer Mode. Now you just connect your AirPods after updating your iPhone to iOS 26, open the Settings app, select your AirPods below your Apple account at the top, then scroll to the bottom, choose “AirPods Beta Updates” and turn on “AirPods Beta Updates” at the top.
How to get HomePod beta firmware
To enroll your HomePod mini or original HomePod in the public beta program, open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, then hit the …(ellipsis) icon in the top-right corner and choose “Home Settings.” Now select “Software Update” and select one or more HomePod speakers for which you’d like to get beta software updates.