Gurman: iOS 16.1 Adaptive Transparency Option for Original AirPods Pro and AirPods Max is a Bug

The AirPods Pro 2 Adaptive Transparency feature is not coming to the original ‌AirPods Pro‌ or the AirPods Max, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The Adaptive Transparency setting that appeared in the third iOS 16.1 beta is apparently a bug.

adaptive transparency airpods pro
‌AirPods Max‌ and original ‌AirPods Pro‌ owners noticed an Adaptive Transparency setting that had replaced the original Transparency setting shortly after upgrading to the latest iOS 16.1 and the AirPods beta firmware, and the assumption was that Apple was expanding the feature to additional devices.


Apple does not often tout new features like Adaptive Transparency and bring them to older devices, so it was a curious decision, and it makes sense that it was actually added in error. It's likely that there is no Adaptive Transparency implementation for the original ‌AirPods Pro‌ and ‌AirPods Max‌ at all, and Apple accidentally made the Adaptive Transparency setting visible for devices that do not actually support it.

Adaptive Transparency is an ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 feature that Apple highlighted extensively when introducing the new earbuds, attributing it to the new H2 chip. Adaptive Transparency is designed to allow the ‌AirPods Pro‌ quiet loud sounds, such as sirens, construction work, or loud speakers at a concert without blocking out all noise.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

iPhone Foldable Display Said to Feature iPad-Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Friday March 28, 2025 3:44 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming "iPhone Fold" will feature a foldable screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, according to a Chinese leaker who previously leaked the book-style device's display dimensions. The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple will adopt a "roughly" 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display in order to achieve consistency between the outer display, as well as to ensure parity...

Top Rated Comments

xpxp2002 Avatar
33 months ago
But does it work? It'd sure be interesting if it works even though it isn't supposed to.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kissmo1980 Avatar
33 months ago
Coming Soon - Stage Manager for older iPads Pro gets qualified as a bug
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stiss Avatar
33 months ago
“That’s not a feature, it’s a bug.”
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiensoy Avatar
33 months ago
Who says Apple doesn’t bring new features to older devices? Oh wait…
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MDDUCKMAN Avatar
33 months ago
Well, that didn't last long!! lol
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supergt Avatar
33 months ago
A bug? Apple trolling big time.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)