AirPods Finally Get Custom Equalizer Control in iOS 27

Published by Robert Granstone on June 24, 2026June 24, 2026

What You Need to Know

IOS 27 introduces custom equalizer controls for AirPods with H2 chip models.
Custom EQ adjusts lows, mids, and highs through Settings > AirPods > Audio & Routing.
Apple reorganized AirPods settings into labeled categories including Audio & Routing and Hearing Health.
Siri AI on AirPods requires a connected iPhone, not standalone on-device processing.

Apple spent years refusing to let AirPods users touch the equalizer. iOS 27 quietly ends that stance, and it may be the most practically useful change in a feature list that also includes Siri AI and a redesigned settings menu.

Custom EQ lands in iOS 27 with controls for lows, mids, and highs, accessible through Settings, the AirPods name, then Audio & Routing. The feature is limited to AirPods with an H2 chip, covering the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. Apple had previously kept users locked to its own sound profiles, so this is a real concession to an audience that has been asking for it for years.

The AirPods 4 firmware required to unlock these features is already in developer beta, tied directly to iOS 27. That pairing matters because the new AirPods settings also get a structural overhaul: Apple reorganized the interface into labeled categories including Audio & Routing, Hearing Health, Controls & Gestures, Live Translation, and Find My, among others. A volume slider now lives alongside the Transparency, Noise Cancellation, and Adaptive mode controls at the top of the screen.

Siri, Precision Finding, and Accessibility

Siri AI works on AirPods through a connected iPhone, not as a standalone on-device feature. Apple is reportedly developing AirPods with cameras to feed visual data to Siri AI, and the current iPhone-dependent integration reads more like groundwork than a finished product. Siri AI requires an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, which narrows the eligible hardware pool considerably.

The AirPods Pro 3 picks up two hardware-specific additions: Apple Watch support for Precision Finding via Ultra Wideband, and GymKit syncing that pushes heart rate data to compatible gym equipment. Apple also added Name Recognition for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, a feature tied to Hearing Health options that works across more than 50 languages.

iOS 27 is currently in developer beta, with a public beta expected in July and a full release in September alongside new iPhone hardware.

Source: Every New AirPods Feature in iOS 27 (macrumors.com)