Apple Quietly Updates AirPods Firmware to Version 3.5.1

Apple today quietly put out a firmware update for the AirPods, bumping the Bluetooth headphones from version 3.3.1 to 3.5.1, as spotted by a user on Reddit. The update to AirPods is automatic for any AirPods in their Charging Case and connected to a nearby iOS device. After making sure the AirPods are connected, users can check their current firmware version by going to the Settings app on iPhone > General > About > AirPods.

airpods_firmware_3_5_1
It's not clear what the 3.5.1 update covers due to its silent release and a lack of specific patch notes, but the AirPods have faced a number of complaints over the past few weeks that the new firmware version could potentially be addressing. Mainly, there have been a number of user complaints regarding battery drain issues with the AirPods and the Charging Case, as well as dropped Bluetooth connections when on phone calls on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices.

AirPods launched in December to largely positive reviews from users praising their ease of connectivity with iOS devices, thanks to the W1 chip, as well as their sound quality. Since the launch, the AirPods have been hard to come by both online and in Apple retail stores, with current shipping estimates on Apple.com sitting at the six week mark, arriving mid-March if users order today.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...

Top Rated Comments

Blackstick Avatar
105 months ago
Gotta love a world where headphones and refrigerators need software updates.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b0nd18t Avatar
105 months ago
Does this update fix them falling out of my ears?? Fingers crossed
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
William Gates Avatar
105 months ago
Amazing that people don't realize there is software in a wireless device.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djeeyore25 Avatar
105 months ago
Does this fix the issue of modern music sounding terrible?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zorn Avatar
105 months ago
So now there is an OS in ear-pods, amazing
That's actually a very good thing since they can fix any issues via firmware update such as this..
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freediverx Avatar
105 months ago
Gotta love a world where headphones and refrigerators need software updates.
Ah yes, we all miss the good old days when the only way to improve a product you already purchased was to buy another one.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)