My biggest problem with Bose's flagship noise-cancelling earbuds has finally been fixed

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in their case in front of a green hedge

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

There isn’t much I don’t like about the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. I find them super-comfortable to wear for long periods, really easy to use, the sound quality is sensational and they’re easily among the best noise-cancelling earbuds I’ve tried in recent times.

The ANC comes into its own on my morning commute and during trips to the driving range where I need to block out the screaming of over-enthusiastic children and their parents as they whack balls into next week.

But that’s enough of an insight into my weekend activities. I’m writing to bring you the welcome news that there’s a new software update available for Bose's five-star wireless earbuds. It supposedly brings several improvements but there’s one in particular I’ve been waiting for ever since they launched at the back end of 2023.

Finally, they're multipoint maestros

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Bose QC Ultra Earbuds — Bose's latest software update applies to both the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (left) and Ultra Open Earbuds (right). (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Now, normally I keep an eye out for software update notifications on my smartphone, but either I missed an alert from the Bose app or Bose simply didn’t send one out.

It was an e-mail from Bose which alerted me to a new version of the software, but, ironically, it was for a completely different pair of wireless earbuds, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. This prompted me to ask if the update also applied to the QuietComfort model. Bose said yes and mentioned that the update included improvements to voice pick-up and connectivity, and a few other bug fixes.

But the feature I was most excited about was the arrival of Bluetooth Multipoint. Now I don’t like to go on about it, but this is a killer feature that, in my opinion, all wireless earbuds should have. It’s an absolute game-changer for people who use their earbuds with more than one source, and being able to switch from laptop to smartphone without scrolling through a Bluetooth menu is one of this tech enthusiast’s little joys in life.

I’m always jumping from, say, a streaming service on my MacBook to a YouTube or Instagram clip on my iPhone (or to take a call) and multipoint done right just helps the switch run smoother.

How to update your Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds multipoint settings page in the Bose app — After the software update you'll be able to access this screen via the Bose app and enable multipoint. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

So how do you check your current software version and download the new one? Go to the main menu in the Bose app, tap on the cog in the top right of your screen, then click on Product Update and you should be able to see the current version. If there’s a new one, it should automatically start to download.

It took a while for the QC Ultra Earbuds to fully update – around 45 minutes or so – but, thankfully, you can still use them while the software is being downloaded. It’s then a matter of putting both buds back in the case so the actual software transfer can happen.

Once up to date, head over to ‘Source’ from the main menu of the Bose app and you’ll see that you now have the option to switch on Multipoint Bluetooth and assign the products you want to be connected.

I’ve tried it on my work laptop and personal phone switching from YouTube on the former to Amazon Music on the latter, and the feature has worked seamlessly so far. It’s been a bit harder to notice any other improvements from the update, but I’ll be sure to report back if I stumble across any issues.

MORE:

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

Check out our list of the best noise-cancelling earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds vs Ultra Open Earbuds: which Bose buds are right for you?

Here are the best wireless earbuds deals currently available

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Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.