Share Facebook Twitter Reddit In a surprise move, Apple has released AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.8, which gives the discontinued 802.11n AirPort Express base station support for AirPlay 2. (See “RIP: Apple AirPort, 1999–2018,” 27 April 2018, for coverage of AirPort’s demise and “iOS 11.4, tvOS 11.4, HomePod 11.4, and watchOS 4.3.1 Finally Debut AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud,” 29 May 2018, for more on AirPlay 2.) The main benefit of AirPlay 2 is that it enables you to stream audio to multiple destinations—like an Apple TV or HomePod—from iOS (iTunes has provided this capability for years). The practical upshot of this firmware update is that if you have a collection of AirPort Express base stations, you can now use them to create a cheap whole-house audio solution. In our testing, AirPlay 2 became available immediately after updating the firmware. Don’t expect such an update for the AirPort Extreme, since it doesn’t have an audio output jack, rendering AirPlay 2 support pointless. Installing the Firmware Update from macOS Launch AirPort Utility from /Applications/Utilities/ . Click the icon for your AirPort Express. It should have a red badge next to its name indicating an update. Enter your password if prompted. Click Update. Wait for the update to download and install, and for your base station to reboot. Installing the Update from iOS You can also install the AirPort Express firmware update from the AirPort Utility iOS app: Tap your AirPort Express. There should be a red badge next to the name indicating an update. Tap Enter Password. Enter your password when prompted. Tap Version. There should be a circled “1” indicating an update. Tap Download and Install. Tap Install. Wait for the update to download and install, and for your base station to reboot. Adding an AirPort Express to the Home App You can also add an updated AirPort Express to the Home app as an accessory since it’s technically a HomeKit device. As far as we can tell, this works only on the iPad and does nothing, but if you’re so inclined: Open the Home app. Tap the plus button in the upper-right corner. Tap Add Accessory. Tap Don’t Have a Code or Can’t Scan? Tap the icon for your AirPort Express. Tap Room if you wish to assign the base station to a room. Tap Done to finish. Again, since you can’t do anything at all with the AirPort Express as a HomeKit accessory, this is completely pointless, at least for now. Is this update merely a parting gift for AirPort Express owners or a sign that Apple isn’t quite done with the AirPort line? The AirPlay ecosystem could use an audio-only receiver, akin to Google’s Chromecast Audio, even if Apple doesn’t continue to develop the AirPort Express’s base station features.<doc-sep>Apple today released updated 7.8 firmware for 2012 802.11n AirPort Express models, introducing support for AirPlay 2. The new software can be downloaded onto compatible AirPort Express devices using the AirPort Utility app for iOS devices. After downloading the firmware update, AirPort Express users have reported being able to target the AirPort Express right alongside other AirPlay 2 devices when running iOS 11.4.1 or iOS 12. With the AirPlay 2 update, 2012 AirPort Express models offer support for multi-room audio and are able to work with other AirPlay 2 devices such as the HomePod, the Apple TV, and Sonos speakers. There has been speculation that the AirPort Express would be updated to include AirPlay 2 support after the accessory started showing up in the Home app as an AirPlay 2 accessory in the iOS 12 beta. Apple in April announced that its entire AirPort wireless router lineup, AirPort Express included, had been discontinued. Apple sold the AirPort Express until available stock ran out, but it is no longer available for purchase at this time. Because the AirPort Express was discontinued, it wasn't clear if it would indeed gain AirPlay 2 support because Apple's AirPort unit was disbanded, but Apple did indeed opt to introduce support for customers who are still using the AirPort Express units. Apple plans to provide service and parts for current AirPort Base stations for the next five years.<doc-sep>
Surprise, the AirPort Express isn’t dead! While Apple stopped selling AirPort products back in April, the company is still updating the firmware of the once beloved AirPort Express. This firmware update is quite significant as it adds support for AirPlay 2 and the Home app. In other words, you can now plug speakers to a dusty AirPort Express and turn them into wireless speakers for your home sound system. The AirPort Express was a pretty basic home router. It hasn’t been updated since 2012, which means that it’s nowhere near as performant as today’s cheap routers. It only supports 802.11n while everybody has moved on to 802.11ac. Its Ethernet ports are limited to 100 Mbps. So if you have fiber internet, the AirPort Express is not a good solution as it caps your internet connection to 100 Mbps. But the AirPort Express also has an audio jack — something that you can’t find in many Apple products these days. Today’s update makes this audio jack relevant again, as it’s a cheap way to get started with AirPlay 2. After updating the device with the AirPort Utility app on your Mac or iOS device, you can launch the Home app and add the router as a new Home accessory. After that, you’ll find the AirPort Express in your AirPlay speaker list. Apple recently released AirPlay 2, an update to its audio and video protocol. With AirPlay 2, you can stream music from your Apple devices to multiple speakers at once. On your phone, you can control the volume of each speaker individually and play the same song across your home. While Sonos, Bose and other speaker manufacturers are updating their devices to support AirPlay 2, chances are many devices won’t get an update. The AirPort Express update can help you go through this transition.