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Turn your AirPods Pro 2 into hearing aids: Testing and tracking hearing health in iOS 18.1
Apple’s latest mobile software update — iOS18.1 — includes new hearing health features for the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds. These features include a clinically validated hearing test to help users assess their hearing health and a hearing aid mode that allows the Pro 2 earbuds to act as an over-the-counter hearing aid.
If you’re curious about Apple’s new hearing health features, how to complete the hearing test, or anything related to these AirPods acting as hearing aids, keep reading to get your questions answered.
To use the AirPods Pro 2 as over-the-counter hearing aids, users must first complete a hearing test to determine their levels of hearing loss. The test can be accessed on their iPhone in the AirPods settings or in the Health app under the Hearing tab.
Users can also take Apple’s hearing test on a compatible iPad. Additionally, users can input the results of an existing hearing test taken by an audio health professional. If you take the test on your iPhone or iPad, your AirPods Pro 2 must be connected to the device and placed firmly in your ears.
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Once users complete the hearing test, they’ll receive their average hearing loss in each ear. If users record at least 26dB of loss in either ear, their AirPods Pro 2 will suggest the hearing aid mode. Users can still activate hearing aid mode if results show less than 26dB of hearing loss.
Apple’s hearing test requires users to put the AirPods Pro 2 in their ears and sit in a quiet environment. Once the test begins, the AirPods automatically turn on noise cancellation to allow users to hear the prompts, and the iPhone enters Do Not Disturb to limit distractions.
Users will then hear a series of high- and low-pitched beeps and are prompted to tap the screen when they hear a beep. Each ear is tested during the hearing test, and results are recorded in the Health app when the test is completed.
However, Maddie Maliszewska, an audiologist at Boost Hearingcare, says that at-home hearing tests may be less reliable, accurate, and comprehensive than ones completed in a clinical setting. At-home tests can’t account for any obstructions in the ear and are too simple to determine what area in the ear is affected and causing hearing loss. The best way users can make their at-home hearing test more accurate is to clean their ears before taking it.
“The test conducted through the AirPods also only tests ‘Air Conduction,'” she says. “To obtain a full picture of someone’s hearing loss, a bone conduction test must also be completed. Bone conduction testing allows us to see if the hearing loss is sensorineural or conductive. Therefore, if the hearing test is not completed in full, then we cannot determine if there is an outer, middle, or inner ear problem.”
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Cindy McManus, an audiologist with Zepp Clarity, a hearing health solutions company, echoes Maliszewska. McManus says hearing tests conducted by an audiologist can determine what kind of hearing loss someone has and whether they need prescription hearing aids or medical intervention.
“The hearing test on the iPhone should be considered a guideline for adjusting the software and is not a diagnosis of hearing loss,” she says.
The only Apple earbuds compatible with hearing aid mode are the AirPods Pro 2. Hearing aid mode is accessible on all iPads running iPadOS 18.1, iPhones running iOS 18.1, and Macs running MacOS Sequoia and later. Ensure your device is updated with the latest software, as these features aren’t available in previous software iterations. The AirPods themselves will update once you update your iPad, iPhone, or Mac.
Unfortunately, the AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aid mode only works with Apple devices. However, iPads as old as the iPad Air 3 and iPhones as old as the iPhone 11 are compatible with Apple’s hearing aid mode.
Android users who don’t want to switch to iOS for their daily driver phone could pick up an older iPhone or iPad to use as a secondary device for now. Before you can access Apple’s hearing health features on these older devices, be sure they’re updated to the latest software.
Due to their age, you can find these devices at lower prices, and refurbished models are regularly discounted.
According to Apple, hearing aid mode is intended for adults 18 years and older. Additionally, all over-the-counter hearing aids, including the AirPods Pro 2, are best suited for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. However, McManus says that using AirPods as hearing aids isn’t a permanent solution to hearing loss but is a great place to start.
“I am hopeful that the update to AirPods will encourage more people to explore the use of hearing aids,” she says. “While they will be good for situational or occasional use, the battery life will not support using them as a permanent solution.”
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Maliszewska agrees: People feel more comfortable and relaxed completing hearing tests at home, and AirPods doubling as hearing aids is a significant first step to addressing hearing loss.
“It is a good initial step as if someone completes this test from the comfort of their own home and they are informed they have a hearing loss,” she says. “It will hopefully prompt them to book an appointment for further, detailed testing to be completed.”
There’s no harm in testing your ears with your AirPods Pro 2 and iPhone, even if you don’t think you have noticeable hearing loss. Many people unintentionally damage their hearing every day by listening to music too loud or attending concerts or sporting events without ear protection. The at-home hearing test can inform you about your hearing health and help determine if it’s time to seek a medical opinion.
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According to McManus, maintaining hearing health is equally as important as maintaining physical and mental health, and a decline in hearing health can lead to a decline in mental health.
“Most people don’t understand the importance of hearing health, but studies show that untreated hearing loss is linked to other health conditions, such as dementia,” she says. “It’s becoming clear that hearing health plays a role in overall health.”
You can access your hearing health insights on your compatible Apple device’s Health app under the Hearing tab. Here, you can see headphone and environmental noise levels. Headphone noise levels are more accurate when users have Apple or Beats headphones connected to a compatible device, and other headphones’ loudness levels are estimated based on your device’s volume settings.
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Environmental noise levels measure the loudness of sounds in your environment. This feature is most commonly used with the iPhone and Apple Watch since they’re the most portable. Your Apple Watch will notify you if your environment reaches potentially damaging noise levels.
