Apple says that starting at a future date, it will offer members of the Apple Developer Program access to beta versions of AirPods Pro firmware updates before they're released and shipped to the public.
Apple made the announcement for developers on the downloads page where beta versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS are available. According to Apple, AirPods Pro firmware betas will allow for the development of certain features on iOS and macOS and will enable features such as Conversation Boost and Ambient Noise Reduction.
Pre-release AirPods Pro firmware for Apple Developer Program members will be available at a future date. This will allow development of features on iOS and macOS for AirPods as well as enable new features, including Conversation Boost (beam forming) and Ambient Noise Reduction (noise suppressor).
Currently, Apple occasionally releases firmware updates for AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, although there's no reliable way to manually update the devices. Instead, they're updated automatically when connected to power and nearby a paired iPhone or iPad with an internet connection.
It remains unclear how Apple will provide beta versions for AirPods Pro firmware. Presumably, Apple will provide a profile for developers to download that automatically installs and updates the AirPods Pro when there's a new update.
