iOS 27 arrives free on Monday, September 14, 2026, and it changes what AirPods you already own can do without a new purchase. The clearest addition is Custom EQ inside AirPods settings, while heart rate sensing during workouts stays limited to AirPods Pro 3 because it depends on a sensor older buds do not have.
Apple folds several AirPods-adjacent changes into iOS 27: a new equalizer, a GymKit connection for cardio machines, and the continuing rollout of Siri AI and Live Translation. None of it requires buying new earbuds, though some of it depends on which iPhone you pair with, not which AirPods you own.
What iOS 27 adds for AirPods you already own
| Detail | What Apple states |
|---|---|
| iOS 27 release | Monday, September 14, 2026, free, per Apple’s iOS 27 page |
| Compatible iPhones | iPhone 11 and later, iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later |
| New AirPods setting | Custom EQ, adjust lows, mids and highs in AirPods settings |
| Hardware-gated feature | Heart rate sensing in GymKit workouts, AirPods Pro 3 only |
| Software-gated feature | Live Translation, needs the latest AirPods firmware and Apple Intelligence turned on |
Custom EQ arrives without a hardware requirement
Apple’s iOS 27 page describes the new setting plainly: you can “adjust the lows, mids, and highs in AirPods settings.” Apple states no model restriction for Custom EQ, and its AirPods compare page lists Adaptive EQ, the feature Custom EQ builds on, as a shared spec across AirPods 5, AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2, which is Apple’s entire current lineup.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
For AirPods Apple no longer sells, including AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation) and AirPods Max with Lightning, Apple’s compare tool has moved on and does not restate their spec sheets. Apple has not published whether Custom EQ reaches those older models once iOS 27 installs.
GymKit heart rate stays an AirPods Pro 3 exclusive
iOS 27 brings GymKit to iPhone for the first time, connecting to compatible treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and stair-steppers for real-time metrics. Apple’s own line for the AirPods piece of that is specific: “use AirPods Pro 3 to track your heart rate while you work out.” Only one model is named.
Owners of AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, AirPods Max 2 or any older model get the iPhone-to-equipment side of GymKit, but not an in-ear heart rate reading, because Apple built that sensor into AirPods Pro 3 specifically and has not stated plans to add it in software to any other model.
Siri and Siri AI are not the same upgrade
Hands-free “Hey Siri” and short-form “Siri” activation already appear across Apple’s current AirPods compare page, so that part is not new with iOS 27 for most owners. Siri AI, Apple’s newer conversational assistant, is a separate beta rolling out with iOS 27 in English first, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish following in October.
Whether Siri AI works through your AirPods depends on your iPhone, not your earbuds. Apple names iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 or later for full Apple Intelligence features. Apple’s own September newsroom release also states that Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS or watchOS, even though it reaches Mac and Apple Vision Pro there.
Live Translation needs firmware and Apple Intelligence together
Apple’s AirPods specifications page sets a three-part condition for Live Translation: it is “available on compatible Apple devices with the latest operating system software when paired with compatible AirPods with the latest firmware when Apple Intelligence is turned on.” That sentence applies to any AirPods model Apple lists as compatible, not only to AirPods 5.
In practice, an owner who installs iOS 27 on Monday but whose AirPods have not yet pulled their own firmware update may not see Live Translation appear immediately. Apple’s firmware updates happen in the background under separate conditions, which we cover in a companion piece.
| Model | Custom EQ | GymKit heart rate | Live Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods 4 | Yes, per compare page | No | Depends on iPhone and firmware |
| AirPods 4 with ANC | Yes, per compare page | No | Depends on iPhone and firmware |
| AirPods Pro 3 | Yes, per compare page | Yes | Depends on iPhone and firmware |
| AirPods Max 2 | Yes, per compare page | No | Depends on iPhone and firmware |
| AirPods 5, both models | Yes, per compare page | No | Depends on iPhone and firmware |
| Older, discontinued models | Not published | No | Not published |
What Apple has not said
Apple has not published one page that lines up every AirPods model it has ever sold against every iOS 27 feature. Its compare tool only covers the six models it currently sells, and Apple has not stated whether Custom EQ, or any other iOS 27-era AirPods setting, reaches AirPods still in use from 2019 through 2023.
Once iOS 27 installs on Monday, September 14, 2026, the fastest way to see what changed is Settings, then Bluetooth, then the info button next to your AirPods name. Our iOS 27 release date guide and AirPods 5 announcement coverage track what Apple has confirmed so far, alongside our Apple Watch Series 12 coverage of the same GymKit update and the full September event recap.
