Apple Officially Retires Beats Updater Utility in Favor of Over-the-Air Firmware Updates

[MacRumors]

Apple has officially retired Beats Updater, the software utility that lets users update the firmware of their Beats Wireless headphones, earphones, and speakers.

Beats Updater allows users to plug their Beats product directly into the USB port of their computer to check for firmware updates online, but with Apple's growing tendency to deliver over-the-air updates to wireless products via iOS and iPadOS, the company clearly feels the utility has reached the end of its life.

Beats Updater is still available to download for use with the following products, but Apple says no new versions will be available in future.

• Beats Solo2 Wireless
• Beats Studio Wireless
• Powerbeats 2 Wireless
• Beats Pill 2.0
• Powerbeats
• Powerbeats Pro

• Powerbeats3 Wireless
• Solo Pro
• Beats Solo3 Wireless
• Beats Studio3 Wireless
• BeatsX

If you have one of the Beats headphones or earphones listed below, pairing them with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch will update them automatically. If you have an Android device, download the Beats app for Android from the Google Play store to update your firmware.

• Powerbeats
• Powerbeats Pro
• Powerbeats3 Wireless
• Solo Pro

• Beats Solo3 Wireless
• Beats Studio3 Wireless
• BeatsX

Apple recently released over-the-air firmware updates for AirPods (second generation), AirPods Pro, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, and Solo Pro. The new firmware adds automatic switching support to these models and requires iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur, or later. In addition to automatic switching, AirPods Pro also gained a new spatial audio feature.

Article Link: Apple Officially Retires Beats Updater Utility in Favor of Over-the-Air Firmware Updates

 

[-DMN-]

Apple getting rid of something that just works...
What a surprise!!!

 

[allenvanhellen]

So you can’t update these if you’ve purchased a MacBook Pro but not an iOS device?!

 

[TiggrToo]

So you can’t update these if you’ve purchased a MacBook Pro but not an iOS device?!

If you have an Android device, download the Beats app for Android from the Google Play store to update your firmware

 

[jbachandouris]

Great. So now you plug them in and wait for them to update when they feel like it like the AirPods? STUPID

 

[jonnysods]

Hey, one less app on my mac is always a good thing. Less is more!

 

[Websnapx2]

Apple getting rid of something that just works...
What a surprise!!!

And replaced it with something that also just works... OtA Updates have been working great with AirPods/Pro. As someone who owns a pair of Wireless Studio 3s and Airpods, the Airpod update process is much better.

 

[Websnapx2]

So you can’t update these if you’ve purchased a MacBook Pro but not an iOS device?!

Of course, you can:

Beats Updater is still available to download for use with the following products, but Apple says no new versions will be available in future.

So they will work just fine as is, it's just that the updater won't be getting new versions.

 

[B4U]

Just like getting rid of iTunes 12.6.5.3.
So, we have to download the same thing over and over if we have multiple products.
This is the way Apple considers "for the environment".

 

[StuBeck]

Don't understand this thought process. We've gone from something that gives customers control to something that doesn't. I don't see the benefit of losing this tool.

 

[az431]

So you can’t update these if you’ve purchased a MacBook Pro but not an iOS device?!

Your question is answered in the article.

 

[az431]

Apple getting rid of something that just works...
What a surprise!!!

I must have missed the part of the article where it states that wireless updates usually don't work.
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Just like getting rid of iTunes 12.6.5.3.
So, we have to download the same thing over and over if we have multiple products.
This is the way Apple considers "for the environment".

A firmware update doesn't affect the environment any more than your post.

 

[az431]

Don't understand this thought process. We've gone from something that gives customers control to something that doesn't. I don't see the benefit of losing this tool.

The benefit is that everyone who owns a Beats headset will get an update automatically, whereas before, only the fraction of Beats owners who knew and cared about firmware updates would go through the process.

And as clearly stated in the article, if you own of these headsets, you are not "losing this tool."

 

[Bandaman]

“Apple removes ability to manually update some of their products to something completely arbitrary.”

 

[cmaier]

Great. So now you plug them in and wait for them to update when they feel like it like the AirPods? STUPID

No. They update when paired and not in use. Just like AirPods.

 

[Bandaman]

No. They update when paired and not in use. Just like AirPods.

Apparently you haven’t been one of many here where this just doesn’t work that way. There are entire threads dedicated to it.

 

[cmaier]

Just like getting rid of iTunes 12.6.5.3.
So, we have to download the same thing over and over if we have multiple products.
This is the way Apple considers "for the environment".

Turn on caching on your mac and it will download once and then be served to everything on your network.

And over the air means that there are more zeros than ones in the updates, which means less power usage /s

 

[cmaier]

Apparently you haven’t been one of many here where this just doesn’t work that way. There are entire threads dedicated to it.

Correct. It always just works for all the AirPods and AirPods Pro in this house. But, then, we aren’t obsessed forum members who demand the update immediately and aren’t willing to wait a day until it updates.

 

[Jon20001]

Does anyone know what firmware version for Beats Studio is the latest? Mine says 2.4.4

 

[hellosil]

Does anyone know what firmware version for Beats Studio is the latest? Mine says 2.4.4

Not sure if it is today, but a couple of days ago it surely was for the Studio 3.
Update: Just checked, yes it is for the Studio 3.

I remember as I used the Beats updater tool to force update the headphones firmware to enable the audio sharing feature for Apple TV.

Watching a movie with noise cancelling headphones on is really cool immersive experience btw.
Less distractions, and you hear sound details you normally don't hear.
Also nice with audio sharing, watching a movie together.
Feels like you are in the cinema together: You can't really talk, but you share the movie experience together.

 

[rjp1]

This is a disturbing trend. A lot of people don’t want to install updates to something that works. It is rare, but firmware updates go wrong sometimes and brick devices.

I don’t want my Beats to update ever, and now that isn’t an option. I’m happy with them the way they are today. I already know exactly how the conversation would go with the genius bar if they got bricked during a failed firmware update - sorry, they are out of warranty.

 

[digitalexplr]

Does anyone know what firmware version for Beats Studio is the latest? Mine says 2.4.4

Updated my wife's Studio3's last week. It said 2.4.4 was the latest.

 

[Bandaman]

Correct. It always just works for all the AirPods and AirPods Pro in this house. But, then, we aren’t obsessed forum members who demand the update immediately and aren’t willing to wait a day until it updates.

I imagine it must be great to not understand that there’s an entire world of experiences that exist outside your bubble.

 

[psxp]

Where can you find out the latest firmware for each of the models? I have a Solo 3.

thanks

 

[-DMN-]

I must have missed the part of the article where it states that wireless updates usually don't work.
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A firmware update doesn't affect the environment any more than your post.

You ALSO must of missed the thread "AirPods Firmware" with over 1K replies and the hundreds of people complaining about firmware USUALLY NOT WORKING.