From today, you can use your AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid. The hearing aid feature launched in the US last year, but has only just arrived here in the UK.
The hearing aid mode will boost certain frequencies that some people struggle to hear. It won't magically restore your hearing, but it should be able to help with mild to moderate hearing loss. If you struggle to follow conversations in loud restaurants, for example, it could be able to help.
If you don't see the option, try updating your AirPods Pro 2 to the most recent software. They should update automatically when charging, but in case they haven't, you can try by following these steps. Updates can take up to 30 minutes to arrive, so be patient.
Hear, my dear
To use the feature, first you have to take the hearing aid test within the AirPods app. This involves listening to a series of tones in a quiet room, and should only take about five minutes. You'll be given results that you can print out as a PDF document to discuss with your hearing specialist if you like.
And if you don't want to use the hearing test feature? You can use your iPhone's camera to scan in your results from your hearing test from another provider (like a high street audiologist) in order to activate the hearing aid feature.
The app will then use your results to create your personalised hearing profile, boosting the frequencies that you have the most trouble hearing. So every time you wear your AirPods Pro 2 (and don't listen to music), you should be able to hear the world around you much more clearly.
"At Apple, we believe that technology can help people live healthier lives, and we're delighted to bring the Hearing Aid feature to the UK, offering our users an end-to-end hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2," said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple's vice president of Health.
It's estimated that 1.5 billion people worldwide live with some kind of hearing loss. Hearing loss can affect the sufferer's wellbeing, and lead to an increased risk of developing other conditions like dementia.
The feature works on both USB-C and Lightning versions of the AirPods Pro 2. But it's not available for the AirPods 4 with ANC, because it requires the seal provided by the AirPods Pro 2's eartips.
While not a remedy to severe hearing loss, this feature could be a great help to those afflicted with mild to moderate hearing loss. And for many people, a pair of AirPods will be a lot less daunting – and more stylish and user friendly – than a hearing aid.
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Read our AirPods Pro 2 review
AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods 4 with ANC: what's the difference?
