Apple AirPods Pro 2 as Hearing Aids

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[PKCano]

I have an iPhone SE2, and a month or so ago I purchased an 11″ M4 iPad Pro. At the time I bought the M4 iPad Pro, I also bought the AirPods Pro 2. I had been holding out updating both devices from iOS 17.x, waiting for iOS 18.x to get the kinks out. Well, I just updated my iPhone and iPad iOS 18.1.1 after the updates released this week.

After almost 30 years working in a Chemical Plant, much of which was in the field as a mechanic and a mechanical supervisor, on the deck of the monstrous compressors that moved the chemical process, under roaring furnaces, and around pumps and machinery that were extremely noisy, I retired with some hearing loss. As I have grown older, I have become more aware that I have a difficulty hearing.
I found that I have to turn up the TV, not because I couldn’t hear the TV, but because I couldn’t understand what was being said at a lower volume. And I found myself saying “Huh?” in conversations more and more often. I have had hearing tests in the past and was aware I had moderate hearing loss in certain frequency ranges.

Encouraged by Will Fastie’s article, and the FCC approval of the Apple AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids, I set mine up as hearing aids today. Never had hearing aids before, and I am impressed!!

Apple Information and Instructions

Information and instructions can be found at Apple here.

AirPods Pro 2 provides a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss and a Media Assist feature, which enhances the clarity of music, video, and calls.

To set up Hearing Aid and Media Assist, you need AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware paired with an iPhone or iPad running iOS or iPadOS 18.1 or later.

Learn how to identify your AirPods model

Countries or regions where the Hearing Aid feature is available

The AirPods Pro 2 also connect to Macs running macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later.
Links to informative articles and firmware information can also be found in AskWoody Knowledge Base AKB2000014 under AirPods.

Personal experience

The AirPods Pro 2 come with a set of 4 tips of different sizes. The first thing in the setup is to choose the correct size to fit your ear and seal well. The setup device (iPhone, iPad) will test the fit and warn if it is not sealed properly. Depending on the individual, it is possible the size may not be the same for both ears.

The AirPods Pro 2 can be used for mild to moderate hearing loss. Next is the Hearing Test to determine if the hearing aid is suitable for your case. It needs to be conducted in a quiet environment without background noises.

I had no problem with the hearing test. AirPods should be well charged and connected (bluetooth) to the iPhone of iPad running iOS 18.1 (or later). The 5-minute (or so) test went through a series of beeps of multiple frequencies at multiple volumes on one ear and then the other. You simply tap the screen of the control device when you hear the sounds. Some of the frequencies I don’t hear, or can’t hear, well. Don’t think the test is over just because you don’t hear something. It lets you know when it’s through.

The testing seems to customize each ear – evidently emphasizing the frequencies you miss and adjusting the volume to equalize between ears because. with them in, I can now understand the TV at 20-25% vol that I had to turn up the volume (50-80%) to catch most of the conversation (and still missed some frequency ranges). Certain people’s voices on the TV were in the frequency ranges that I was missing, which made it difficult to understand some of their words. With the AirPods, I can now hear those missing frequencies.

I got about a 4-hour run without having to charge them (98% -> about 15%) . Looks like it is going to be around 30-45 min operation to charge them, and sucks down about 15-20% of a fully-charged charging case. You can operate with one in use while the other charges if necessary.

The $249 standard price sure beats the multi-$K cost of traditional hearing aids (and I’ve seen substantial Black Friday sales already offered). I think it’s going to be beneficial when my family gets together for Thanksgiving next week, as I’ve been missing some of the conversations in the crowd at our other gatherings. I suppose there is some down side to this, though. When I flush the toilet I can now hear the inflow of water into the fill tank at the back as a cascade instead of a whisper. 🙄🤭

More on this as I use AirPods in different situations.

• This topic was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by PKCano.
• This topic was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by PKCano.
• This topic was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by PKCano.

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Elly, Michael432, RobM, TechTango, Bob99, jburk07, Charlie, satrow, Alex5723, Myst, Paul T, WCHS

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A 4-hour run without having to recharge them sounds like a very short time, if they are being used in the same way as one uses hearing aids.

I have hearing loss at the high end of ‘moderate’, and I wear hearing aids charged with removable batteries. I wear them day and night to catch the sound around me. They are also paired to my i-devices by which I not only listen to phone calls, listen/watch on Facetime and Messenger, listen daily to podcasts on my iPhone or iPad, listen/watch a news and a weather app daily, and listen everyday to about 3 hours of NPR online streaming in the Safari browser (much like I used to listen to the radio). So, the hearing aids really get a workout. The batteries last about 2 days.

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I’ll see how long the charge lasts (that was the first time I used them).
From full charge, I’ve had them on for 2 1/2 hours now and the phone says 88% charge.
Have been helping a neighbor update a MacMini and iPhone, and we have been chatting all the time. No TV. We’ll see….

Update: I got a 6 hour run out of them this time. Maybe there’s a learning curve.

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WCHS

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How do I set an alarm on them to alert me when my region is allowed this feature?

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I don’t know. I have not delved into the other features yet.

The hearing aid function is not the Air Pods’ only purpose. They do the same thing that any other AirPods do as well – work with the iPhone/iPads including interfacing with phone calls, playing music and video sound, responding to Siri commands. I would guess they would replace the iPhone speaker for alerts as well. I also haven’t explored what other devices they pair with being used as ear buds.

What they are not is dedicated hearing aids – cosmetically enhancing, hidden in your ear type. I wouldn’t think they would be comfortable to sleep in. They are advertised for mild to moderate hearing loss, not major loss.

I have never been an “ear buds person,” frequently walking around with ear buds/head phones on, playing music, answering the phone, etc. I was fixed on the the hearing aid function when I bought them.
Perhaps we could have input from those that have/use the non-hearing aid approved Air Pods. What are all the things they can be used for, pair with? I’ve seen people wearing them everywhere, obviously not for the hearing aid function.

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satrow wrote:

How do I set an alarm on them to alert me when my region is allowed this feature?

There is no such setting. Just be alert to news regarding Air Pods 2.
The availability depends on each country’s health ministry approval.

“AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid features will be available starting next week, likely on October 28, 2024, with the release of iOS 18.1124. However, the initial rollout will be limited to the United States and Canada only. Apple has not yet provided specific information about availability in other regions. The company previously stated that these features would eventually be available in more than 100 countries and regions, including Germany and Japan, but no timeline has been given for the wider release5. If you are not in the US or Canada, you may need to wait longer for the feature to become available in your region.”

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/when-will-air-pods-2-hearing-a-vdS2GiCXRHeUWSoPE5lJ3g

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I’d already worked all that out without resorting to AI and before posting my tongue-in-cheek-query above.

I’ll return them as unfit for purpose.

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Alex5723

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Thank you for the thorough review! I have moderate to severe tinnitus, and the doc told me that hearing aids could help. I don’t understand how amplifying sound overall can resolve the phantom noise that I hear. When I saw Will’s article I thought I’d give it a try to see if this feature helps at all before I invest thousands for hearing aids. I came here to post about a problem I’m having (the firmware version on my Air Pods is a few versions old, and I can’t seem to force an update) and found your post. Thanks again!

 

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I wore the AirPods on a test run a couple of days ago, running errands in my 14-year-old subcompact SUV, to see the effects of road noise. The car doesn’t have the whissssh quiet of newer vehicles.
They filtered out a lot of the road noise, which left me more aware of the interior car noises – clicking of the turn signals. jingling of the keys dangling from the ignition….
I think they would be quite beneficial in this case for listening to music while driving or answering the phone. However, I do not drive very long distances anymore. My trips are usually a mile or two to the grocery store or Dr’s office. So for me, wearing them in this situation isn’t a big deal.

Depends on your use case.
Next test is Thanksgiving get together with the family. This will be a big one for me.

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Elon Musk lauds AirPods 2 Pro as “Cool” after watching Apple’s AirPods 2 Pro ad.

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Who cares what he thinks is cool! Can’t even make money with a social media site!

cheers, Paul

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Family get together for Thanksgiving turned out great. Didn’t realize how much of the conversations I was missing (yes, I did). Three generations Thanksgiving Day (Portland OR, NY City, Texas, and local, missing the non-US residents this time) at my son’s house. All of us in the kitchen at the same time, each one of us trying to cook our favorite dishes to share. Bumping into each other and laughing. And what a conglomerations of foods! We are a multi-cultural group, so the combinations were far from usual – some local stuff, some common to other parts of the US, and some international. And WAY TOO MUCH to eat!
Anyway, I was right there in the thick of things this year. So many people I know with “real” hearing aids have problems in a crowd with the background noise cancelling the conversations so all they hear is “noise.” Not with these AirPods. I was surprised and pleased.
And I’m still overstuffed and groaning!

And as I sit here typing, finally in the quiet, I just found another (non-hearing-aid) function for the AirPods. I cranked up the Music App on my Mac and WOW. Best speaker system in the house. With all the missed frequencies now.
Next to see what other devices they pair with. Maybe the TV directly. Haven’t used them for phone conversations yet. Nice to have an iPhone-iPad-Mac ecosystem.

Oh, and incidentally, the AirPods came with four sizes of tips. I started with the same size tip for both ears, but my left AirPod fell out (on the floor and survived) on several occasionss. So now, I have a different size tip left and right. Went back and did the tip fit test again, and it agreed with the arrangement.

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I hope Apple are paying you…   🙂

cheers, Paul

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How long is the charge on the AirPods lasting now? Is there a substantial drain on the iPhone/iPad battery? It all sounds great, but I wonder how long the benefits last before you have to charge up again.

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I haven’t determined a set time yet. The first time I used them, I was listening to TV and only got 4 hours (reported above). However, The second time (helping a neighbor update a computer reported above) I got 6 hours with charge left.
I wore them at my son’s for Thanksgiving and again on Friday after, for about 6-7 hours of visiting with family and came back with at least half the charge remaining. Last night, I probably wore them 6 hours playing music from the the Music App on my Mac and then shifted to music from the iPad. I think there was more than half the charge left when I took them off.

Now, that’s just the charge on the AirPods alone.

The charging case holds multiple charges. I think it was something like 15-20% of it’s charge to recharge the AirPods (both in the case at the same time). You can charge one at a time in the case and it’s faster, uses less %. So, you could conceivably have one on and one charging for a short time to extend the AirPods use time. You don’t have to use your phone/iPad/computer to charge unless you run down both the original charge on the AirPods AND the full charge on the charging case.

I usually leave the case, with both the AirPods in it, plugged in and charging over night. It doesn’t take that long to charge them, but I don’t need to sleep in them.

 

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PKCano wrote:

You don’t have to use your phone/iPad/computer to charge unless you run down both the original charge on the AirPods AND the full charge on the charging case.

PK,
Thanks for the info on the charge duration on the AirPods. Can you plug the case into a wall socket to charge it up, rather than using an i-Device to do it? Can you plug in the case, without the AirPods in them, to charge up the case to full capacity, let’s say while you are wearing the AirPods?

I’ve read some charging rules for iPhones and iPads that say “don’t run the battery down below 30%” and “don’t charge the device up to more than 80%”, if you want to save on battery life because it’s hard on the battery to empty it out completely and to charge it up to its full capacity (can get very hot for the last 20%). I wonder if those rules would apply to the AirPod charging case?

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Yes, you can charge the case with or without the AirPods in it, from a wall charger or another device that has a charging capable port.

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WCHS

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OK, I finally read the info. The claims are for 6 hrs. of listening on a charge (about what I’ve been getting) plus 30 hours of listening from a fully charged case. That should be a day’s use with a one-ear-swap to charge every 5 1/2-6 hours.

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PKCano wrote:

Didn’t realize how much of the conversations I was missing (yes, I did).

Have you watched Apple’s new AirPods 2 Pro ad ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvnJhwIwqds

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* Cyber Monday : AirPods Pro 2 price dropped to $154.00, down from $249.00 on Amazon

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More AirPod experiences:

Some years ago, when I was still traveling a lot, I ripped a bunch of CDs and put them on a USB stick to play in the car. The music ranged from around 1969-70 into the 2000’s, some my music, some my kids’ stuff. The common thing was ones I knew the words to – sing along to entertain/keep me awake on the 1000+ mile trips I made across half the US without stopping except for gas and food.

Well, I dropped the mp3’s on my computers and that’s the music I’ve been playing. Haven’t played them in ages. And of course, I had to sing along…….
Except, when I started singing, the music volume lowered and I was left further off key and out of sync than normal; found myself singing without accompaniment.

Seems these thing have something called “Conversation awareness,” and they back off when someone starts a conversation so you can hear them. You have to turn it off if you want to sing along!!!  🙂

Another thing. The microwave causes interference when in the kitchen listening to music playing off the computer in the other room.

 

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PKCano wrote:

microwave causes interference

Is this while playing via Bluetooth? If so, your microwave may be leaking microwaves (hope not), or the power cable is leaking RFI.

Maybe try a large metal baking try in front of the microwave / over the cable?

cheers, Paul

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satrow wrote:

How do I set an alarm on them to alert me when my region is allowed this feature?

AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid expand to more countries :

Cyprus
Czechia
France
Italy
Luxembourg
Romania
Spain
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom

These countries join the list of more than 100 countries and regions
where the new hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2 are already available…

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Cancellation-Transparency-Personalized-High-Fidelity/dp/B0D1XD1ZV3?crid=2SDHR8X8TCLF7&sr=8-3

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The tense is still future, or is it the future’s (still?) tense…

So, maybe next week assuming the current Beta works and the wind’s coming from the right quarter, otherwise maybe later than that. Or not.

Editing to addclarify:

Support for the Hearing Test feature on AirPods Pro 2 in Cyprus, Czechia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Support for the Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 in United Arab Emirates.

The UAE is listed to get the Hearing Aid feature with the release of 18.2, the others listed just get another teaser, the Hearing Test feature.

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There are Apple updates coming Mon., Dec 9th. Maybe iOS 18.2? Read somewhere (?) there were updates for Ventura and Sonoma too.

That means I’m on the hook two days in a row next week!

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satrow

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satrow wrote:

The tense is still future, or is it the future’s (still?) tense…

In what country/region are you ?

There is a list of countries the support Hearing Test feature and a list of countries (100) that support hearing aid feature

* You need the latest Pro 2 firmware and latest iOS version.

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In a region that might get the ability to test hearing soon.

I don’t have a current passport to test out a cross-border hack for you and I doubt you have contacts inside Apple who’ll grant me special dispensation.

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I am a little confused, my first impression was that the sound waves were being picked up and sent to the AirPods FROM the IPhone. (which would cause the battery to be drained from the BT radio).

There are cheaper hearing aid type devices available now for a fraction of the price of a ‘HEARING AID’, which have been kept at a very dear cost by audiologists.

What is the advantage of this arrangement besides ‘coolness’ ?

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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wavy wrote:

There are cheaper hearing aid type devices available now for a fraction of the price of a ‘HEARING AID’, which have been kept at a very dear cost by audiologists. What is the advantage of this arrangement besides ‘coolness’ ? 🍻

Those cheaper hearing aid-type devices amplify ALL of the sound around the user and put that into the ear canal, so all the user winds up with many times is amplified noise, which can be of little use. In years past, the same could’ve potentially been said for some actual hearing aids dispensed by some audiologists, although hopefully not so such so today.

What you get for an outlay of $250 if you already have a compatible Apple device (or $600-maybe $800 (depending on the hardware you get) if you have to buy into the Apple ecosystem) is a quality set of earphones, tailored to each ear after successfully completing the initial hearing test, that also seems to do a very good job of simultaneously filtering out the background (or ambient) noise from one’s environment while using the earphones. Case in point: @PKCano ‘s Original Post for this thread, and subsequent posts here, here, and here. Although I’m not a user of hearing aids (yet!), I feel that it’s a good investment of $250, and even $600-$800 given the documented successful experience with them that @PKCano has had with them thus far.

If I had to get hearing aids TODAY, I’d definitely much rather shell out $600-$800 (gotta buy the airpods and a compatible Apple device to go with them) than $4000+ to be able to hear decently again without having to turn op the volume or ask folks to repeat themselves.

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The best hearing aids can be purchased through Costco, may be covered by insurance and no longer cost $4,000.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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WCHS

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My post was aimed at 1. Answering @wavy ‘s question and 2. Was made in consideration of those who don’t have a Costco nearby enough to make the trip worth it and those who both don’t have a Costco nearby and whose insurance either doesn’t cover hearing aids at all or whose insurance provides but a “meager” discount towards them such as 10% of their retail purchase price or an amount of $500 or less.

Those scenarios put a great amount of money out of their pockets potentially, and I firmly believe that the AirPodsPro2 can be a viable solution in those instances, based upon @PKCano’s already-documented experiences above.

 

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WSbobby-p, WCHS

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I have Phonak hearing aid.
Comes with app for iPhone or Android (I use iPhone)
Custom fit of portion that fits in your ear canal to a mold created from your ear canals. Very comfortable and able to wear for all day and evening.
Easily connects to my Windows 10 via Bluetooth
Easily connects to my iPhone.
Bounces automatically between the PC and the iPhone depending upon which is active. Listening to PC, phone call comes in and switches to iPhone when I answer.
Has numerous “Profiles” to adjust for different situations. Great at lowering background noises and conservations to hear the people near you better.
Runs 12-14 hours per charge.
Comes with total replacement and maintenance supplies for 3 years for any reason.
I don’t have the problem with my hearing aid that I see posted by users of different hearing aids including the ones at Costco.
The only bad thing about my hearing aid is they cost $2,500 each.

I hope for everyone that the new AirPodsPro2 work for them and if nothing else the competition of the AirPodsPro2 at 1/10th the price should help lower the cost of these high end hearing aids.

HTH, Dana:))

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Just to answer some questions:

The listening to music that I have been doing is a function of Air Play with the iDevice. A bluetooth connection that has an impact on the iDevice’s battery life, I assume. It is the same with streaming music and using the AirPods as the “speaker.”

But the hearing aid function continues when disconnected from the iDevice, with the same settings that were last made on the iDevice. Mine work when I walk out of range of the iDevice and I am notified by a chime (klung noise). So, in that case, it effects the battery charge on the Air Pods, but I doubt it has an effect on my iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. And the Macs are plugged in, so they don’t care anyway.

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wavy wrote:

which have been kept at a very dear cost by audiologists

You can choose any 2 of these 3.
Small size, Low cost, Ability

This rule applies to all tech, including hearing aids.

cheers, Paul

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Susan Bradley wrote:

The best hearing aids can be purchased through Costco, may be covered by insurance and no longer cost $4,000.

Yes, I had worn those $4,000+ ones for many years before I purchased a pair at Costco last summer. The Costco ones are definitely superior to then in every way, without or without an i-device. They cost $1,800. The hearing-aid app is on my iPhone and my 2 iPads. The hearing aids and the i-Device are paired on each device. The hearing aids function both apart from the i-Device (wherever I am, with or without an i-device by my side). Although they have several programs (for listening to music, to all-around sound, to a front-focus sound, to a restaurant atmosphere filtering out anything except voices), they do not do well in an environment with people talking together, but some not close to you).

They function with i-Devices to stream anything from anywhere the i-device has access to and the reception is great!

I have been wondering how these Costco hearing aids with their various programs compare to the AirPod Pro 2. Is there anyone out there who has experience with both the Costco aids and the AirPod Pro 2?

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WCHS wrote:

Is there anyone out there who has experience with both the Costco aids and the AirPod 2 Pro?

You may have to wait a while for an answer to that question, since the hearing aid functionality has just been released by Apple within the last month or so.  😐

BUT, here’s hoping that someone chimes in within the next month or two with a definitive answer to that question!  🙂

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I wear hearing aids that cost, sadly, much more than an iPhone plus Air Pods.

The upsides are long battery life, multiple modes of operation (only 2 for me) and they are almost impossible to see.

The downsides

1. They go deeply in the ear so they get full of wax and may even push the wax into the ear
2. The microphone faces up to the sky/ceiling, not optimal for hearing things in front of me
3. They do not do noise canceling, so extraneous noises from the outside world are still there. This is not an issue watching TV or at the theater, of course, but it is a big issue in a noisy city. I bought earbuds with noise cancelling just so I could listen to Bluetooth audio from my phone in noisy areas.
4. Cost
5. Crumpling paper is loud as all heck

All in all, they are just not that great, there was no AHA! moment. Expect to give Apple Air Pods a try soon .  . .

 

Get up to speed on router security at RouterSecurity.org and Defensive Computing at DefensiveComputingChecklist.com

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AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid and Hearing Test Features Approved to Launch in Canada

Health Canada on Wednesday issued Apple licenses for the hearing aid and hearing test features available on the AirPods Pro 2. Apple is now permitted to launch these features in Canada, and that will likely happen in the coming months…

https://health-products.canada.ca/mdall-limh/information?licenceId=112369&type=active&lang=eng

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For those who are considering the AirPods Pro 2, I saw them in my local Costco a week ago for $199 per pair. Sounds like a good price for folks who are members of Costco and are interested in the Air Pods Pro 2 as a hearing aid.

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AirPods will work as hearing aids in Britain after software update

Apple AirPods will be able to be used as hearing aids, under new plans.

Currently, in the UK, Airpods Pro 2 are sold with the functionality to test hearing, but not to boost it…

On Thursday ministers announced changes that mean such devices can be used by tens of thousands of people in the UK with mild or moderate hearing loss.

Apple said the software update to support it – which follows new guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care – will be introduced within weeks…

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satrow

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MacRumors has put out an article with instructions on updating AirPods Firmware.

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/01/27/airpods-firmware-update-instructions/

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satrow

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UK : Hearing Aid feature available today with AirPods Pro 2

The groundbreaking Hearing Aid feature is now available on AirPods Pro 2 in the United Kingdom. The clinical-grade, over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature is available as a free software update…

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PKCano

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Alex5723 wrote:

AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid and Hearing Test Features Approved to Launch in Canada

Canadians may never get to use AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids

Despite Health Canada approving AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids, Canadians are still unable to use feature because of still further regulatory hurdles which look unlikely to be cleared…

A spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Health said that prescribing hearing aids is restricted to licensed audiologists and physicians. “Should the AirPods Pro 2 be sold in Ontario as a hearing aid,” said the spokesperson, “it would need to be done in accordance with the requirements [of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991].”It doesn’t appear, then, that Canada is going to allow Apple to enable its AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature without regulations being substantially revised…

* Just for for Ontario

..Audiology and speech-language pathology

Audiologists assess hearing and treat and prevent hearing problems to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment hearing and communication functions. Audiologists are authorized to prescribe hearing aids for individuals with hearing-impairment….

* What about the rest of Canada ?

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Apple Still Working to Expand AirPods Hearing Aid Feature to Canada

..The good news is that Apple recently told the Toronto Star that it is working with Canadian provinces to get approval to release the AirPods hearing aid and hearing test features over the counter. Apple told the newspaper that it hopes to make the features available as soon as possible, but it did not provide a timeframe…

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