The Beats Studio Pro headphones add one of Apple’s best features

Apple has released a firmware update for the Beats Studio Pro that finally brings audio sharing to the headphones, allowing an iPhone or iPad to stream audio to two pairs of wireless headphones simultaneously. The new feature, spotted by 9to5Mac, was noticeably missing when we reviewed the Beats Studio Pro last year, but now better positions the headphones as an alternative to Apple’s more expensive AirPods Max.

Audio sharing was added to the Beats line shortly after its debut in 2019. It’s a feature found in all of Apple’s headphones featuring the company’s W1 or H1 chips, but the Beats Studio Pro debuted with a different chip that ensured all of the headphone’s features were compatible with both Apple and Android devices.

The firmware update adding audio sharing (2C301) should be downloaded and installed automatically for those regularly using the Beats Studio Pro. Apple has an in-depth guide for using the audio sharing feature, including which models support it, but it can be easily activated on iPhones and iPads as an AirPlay feature when a pair of Beats headphones in pairing mode are held close. The feature is not available when using the Beats Studio Pro with Android devices.