With each iOS update, Apple adds new features to AirPods. In iOS 27, AirPods work with Siri AI and there is a much-requested custom EQ option.
Custom equalizer
Apple has resisted custom EQ for AirPods for years, preferring to require users to stick to Apple’s sound profiles. This changes in iOS 27, and there are finally adjustable EQ settings.
When AirPods are connected to an iPhone running iOS 27 and have the latest firmware, Custom EQ can be accessed by going to Settings > (AirPods Name) > Audio & Routing > Equalizer > Custom.
There are options to adjust the bass, midrange, and treble.
Custom EQ is available for AirPods with an H2 chip, which includes AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2.
A more compact settings interface is available when AirPods are connected to an iPhone. It’s still under Settings > AirPods, but all AirPods features are better organized and easier to access.
Transparency, Noise Cancellation, and Adaptive modes are still accessible at the top of the screen for quick switching, but Apple has also added a volume slider for adjusting sound in the same interface.
Instead of extensive menus for hearing health, call controls and gestures, options are organized into separate menus. Apple has logically grouped the controls into categories including Audio & Routing, Hearing Health, Controls & Gestures, Live Translation, Accessibility, Battery, Find My, and Privacy.
Siri AI
The smartest version of Siri, Siri AI, works on AirPods through a connected iPhone. When wearing AirPods, you can ask the AI Siri questions and make requests.
Siri AI is not a standalone feature on AirPods and requires an iPhone that supports it. Siri AI has a long list of new features, which are described in our Siri guide. Apple is rumored to be developing AirPods with cameras that will provide visual data to the AI Siri, and the current integration is a precursor to this deeper feature set.
Precision search
The AirPods Pro 3 charging case features Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and works with Precision Finding on iPhone. With the update to iOS 27 and watchOS 27, you can also use an Apple Watch for AirPods Pro 3 precision scanning.
GymKit synchronization
GymKit works with iPhone in iOS 27 and can sync heart rate data collected from AirPods Pro 3 with gym equipment such as treadmills and indoor bikes.
Accessibility
Apple added name recognition in iOS 27, so users who are deaf or hard of hearing can be alerted if someone says their name. This is a feature that works with AirPods Hearing Health options and supports over 50 languages worldwide.
Compatibility
Some of the new AirPods features require an H2 chip, and for the Siri AI, you’ll need an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Precision Finding and GymKit features are limited to AirPods Pro 3.
Launch date
New AirPods features require iOS 27 and updated AirPods firmware. Developers now have access, and Apple plans to release a public beta in July. iOS 27 will launch in September alongside new iPhone models.
