Apple is rolling out a new firmware for its Beats Studio Buds [Update]

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Beats Studio Buds Case
Beats Studio Buds Case (Image credit: Rene Ritchie)

What you need to know

  • Apple's Beats Studio Buds have a new firmware available.
  • Apple isn't saying what the new update offers users.
  • There is no way to manually initiate the update and people must wait for it to be installed automatically.

Update, January 25 16 (7:00 pm ET): Beats Studio Buds firmware update enables iCloud instant pairing, battery status, and volume control

Apple has begun to roll out a new firmware update for its Beats Studio Buds, although it isn't clear what the update actually has to offer.

As reported by 9to5Mac, this latest update brings the version number up to 10M359 but Apple isn't telling anyone what it does — although the smart money is on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than anything more exciting than that. Similar to the state of play with AirPods updates, users can't force their Beats Studio Buds to update manually and must instead wait for iOS to handle the updating process on its own.

Anyone looking to check which version of the Beats Studio Buds firmware they're currently using can do so pretty easily, however.

  1. Open the Settings app on an iPhone connected to the earbuds.
  2. Open the Bluetooth menu and tap the 'i' beside the Beats Studio Buds.
  3. Note the firmware version number that's listed.

If you're hoping to get the update installed we'd suggest putting the earbuds into their charging case and connecting it to power. The longer you leave it the more chance there is that the update will kick off.

Some of the best wireless earbuds around, the Beats Studio Buds have proven popular. Let's hope this new update enhances things rather than breaks stuff!

Update, January 25 (7:00 pm ET) — Beats Studio Buds firmware update enables iCloud instant pairing, battery status, and volume control

Apple has revealed that its firmware update for the Beats Studio Buds released earlier today adds a number of new features to the wireless earbuds.

As reported by 9to5Mac, the update provides support for iCloud instant pairing, which allows users to register their Beats Studio Buds with their iCloud account and then it will be available to pair instantly with any of their iCloud devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The update also enables volume control using the side buttons on the Beats logo button on the side of the earbuds. It also allows users to see the battery life of the charging case and earbuds when they open the case near an iPhone.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.