In September, Apple announced important new hearing health features in AirPods Pro 2 aimed at providing a comprehensive approach to prevention, awareness, and care.
A new hearing test, hearing aid, and improved hearing protection features will launch next week with iOS 18.1. Here's a closer look at what to expect.
Hearing Protection
The first aspect is the new Active Hearing Protection feature. According to Apple, the feature is designed to help users avoid exposure to loud ambient noise while “preserving the sound signature of what they’re listening to.”
The Verge’s Chris Welch spent some time with the new AirPods Pro features, including hearing protection options:
With iOS 18.1 and the upcoming AirPods firmware update, AirPods Pro 2 will offer continuous hearing protection in Noise Cancelling, Transparency, and Adaptive Sound modes. There’s no “Concert Mode” or special setting to toggle. Think of it as an extension of the existing noise cancellation option.
Hearing protection is turned on by default, and Apple says that an “all-new multi-band high dynamic range algorithm” helps preserve the natural sound of concerts and other live events.
Which listening mode you use for concerts depends on personal preference. I found that Adaptive Sound works well because it lets you customize whether you prefer more noise cancellation or more transmission. But even in Full Transparency mode, some level of hearing protection is active. The more noise cancellation is applied, the longer you can stay in a relatively noisy environment.
Hearing Test
Next up is the Hearing Test feature. This will allow users to quickly test their hearing using just their AirPods Pro and an iPhone or iPad. The experience “uses a standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry,” Apple says. Once users complete the test, they’ll see an easy-to-understand summary of their results and can share them with their healthcare provider.
The Wall Street Journal’s Nicole Nguyen had the chance to try out the AirPods Pro 2’s new hearing test features early on with Beth Yauman, 74, who has mild hearing loss:
The software played several tones at different volumes and frequencies. Yauman tapped the screen when she heard the tones.
About five minutes later, Yauman got her results: mild hearing loss. The software offered the option to set up AirPods as hearing aids and warned her that it might take a few weeks to get used to the new sound. (You can also upload an audiogram from your doctor to customize the hearing aid feature.)
The iPhone results were similar to Yauman’s doctor’s assessment. Payal Anand, director of audiology at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, said both charts showed “a mild slope to severe hearing loss,” especially for higher frequencies.
Hearing Aid
Finally, coming next week, AirPods Pro 2 will also add a new Hearing Aid feature “for users with mild to moderate hearing loss.” This feature will use the results of the Hearing Test to provide users with a “clinical-grade hearing aid.” Once enabled, the feature “includes personalized dynamic adjustments so users can enhance the sounds around them in real time.”
Wired’s Christopher Null has some first impressions of the feature:
I tested the hearing aids in a variety of settings, from in-person conversations and media viewing to standing in the middle of a Chappell Roan concert. Overall, I had very good results. Conversation was easy and clear even at low volumes, and I had fewer issues with TV dialogue and other often-fuzzy sounds. My initial settings generated a fair amount of hiss, similar to a distant humming air conditioner. After updating the settings with my professional audiogram settings and continuing to tweak, the hiss became less pronounced, although it was still noticeable.
Launching next week
New hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2 will launch next week with the AirPods firmware update and iOS 18.1.
iOS 18.1 also brings the first set of Apple Intelligence features, as well as other changes for iPhone users. You can learn more in our dedicated guide.
Learn more about the new AirPods Pro 2 hearing features:
- TechCrunch
- CNET
- CNBC
- Forbes
- TechRadar
- Women’s Health
