Bose finally does Auracast: QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen get it in beta firmware

Bose has been the last big headphone brand without Auracast. On 29 September it pushed beta firmware 10.12.12 to the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), launched a year earlier, and the headphones can now join a broadcast.

The catch

Two, really. It is a beta, opted into through the Bose app. And it works from Android and Windows only; there is no iPhone path, because the iPhone cannot act as the assistant. That is Apple's limitation rather than Bose's, but a Bose customer is more likely than most to own an iPhone.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) do not have the update. Bose says more devices will follow.

Where this leaves the flagship over-ears

Sony's WH-1000XM6 gained broadcast mode in October 2025, so for a year the two best-selling noise-cancelling headphones on the market were split on the feature. They are now level, with Sony's implementation out of beta and Bose's not. Both are listed at A$699.

For anyone choosing between them on Auracast alone: Sony today, Bose once the beta clears. For anyone with an iPhone: neither can be pointed at a broadcast, and that is the phone's fault.

We list the Bose as Works with limits until the firmware ships generally.