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Despite being one of the most popular Apple products and a key iPhone accessory many people buy, the AirPods don't have a standalone iOS app for users to customize the experience and set up the growing number of features Apple has added over the years. There is an AirPods menu in the Settings app, but you have to connect the AirPods to the iPhone or iPad to see and access it, instead of keeping the menu permanently available. Remove the AirPods, and the menu disappears until you next use them. Apple isn't ready to offer users a standalone AirPods app this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, the reporter has learned that the AirPods Settings menu may be getting a significant makeover that would make it easier to use.

Gurman claims that Apple is aware of the criticism of the current experience of managing AirPods settings, which is why it's changing the Settings menu for the wireless earphones in iOS 27. Gurman says the new menu will be "more functional, better organized, and more streamlined." It's unclear what that means, with the Bloomberg reporter adding that the AirPods settings may be easier to manage after the iOS 27 update, including major AirPods features. While Gurman's predictions don't guarantee that Apple will release these features in iOS 27, the Bloomberg reporter has been accurate about other unreleased Apple products in the past.

Gurman says a standalone AirPods app isn't coming "this year," a distinction suggesting such an option may be available in future iOS releases. An AirPods app wouldn't be unique, as the Apple Watch and Vision Pro already have standalone apps to manage them. Similarly, some of the third-party wireless earbuds come with standalone apps that let owners customize the experience. The AirPods could benefit from a standalone app, which could be particularly useful for managing more complex features available on the more expensive models, like the AirPods Pro 3. It wouldn't be the first time Apple turned a Settings menu into a standalone app. The company has done so with iOS 18 by releasing a standalone Passwords app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, rather than keeping the password manager hidden in the Settings app.

For example, setting up and managing the AirPods Pro's Hearing Aid feature requires using the Settings app to start a hearing test. After the test, users would need to access the same menu to manage the experience, but they can't do it if they're not wearing the earphones. Similarly, checking the AirPods firmware version requires users to put on the earphones to see the AirPods menu in the Settings app. Also, AirPods updates happen automatically while they're in the charging case, but there's no option to update manually.

In the absence of an AirPods app, a permanent AirPods menu in the Settings app for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 would be appreciated, especially if Gurman's reporting proves true and Apple gives the AirPods settings menu a makeover this year.