- Apple announced a native equalizer for AirPods at WWDC 2026, bundled with iOS 27.
The feature appears in Settings → Sounds & Haptics → AirPods EQ. Users can choose from three preset profiles—Bass Boost, Balanced, and Treble Boost—or enable a custom slider that adjusts frequencies in 10‑step increments. The EQ will be part of the public iOS 27 release slated for the September 2026 rollout, and will be added to existing AirPods 1‑3 as well as AirPods Pro and Max via the update.
Why it matters: AirPods have lacked a system‑level tone control since launch, forcing users to rely on third‑party apps or device‑level audio settings that don’t apply to Bluetooth output. By exposing EQ inside iOS, Apple finally gives audiophiles a consistent way to fine‑tune playback across all its devices.
The move also aligns Apple with competitors that already offer on‑device EQ, but the limited preset list suggests the company is testing the waters rather than overhauling its audio stack.