A free, over-the-air update gives these popular headphones an over-the-counter hearing test and hearing aid capability

AirPods Pro 2 work with your iPhone. to test your hearing and provide you with over-the-counter hearing care.

Off Allen St. John

Do you find yourself leaning in while having a conversation, all the better to read the speaker’s lips? Are you asking people to repeat themselves? Do you turn on the TV a little (or a lot) more than you used to?

All of these can be signs of hearing lossand Apple claims to have an answer. The company has found a way to make itself popular AirPods Pro 2 headphones in a free over-the-counter hearing aid.

This bold repositioning of AirPods Pro 2 starts with a free clinical-grade hearing test (also part of the over-the-air update) that lets you determine if you have hearing loss. If it’s mild to moderate, AirPods Pro can use information from the hearing test to adjust the volume at certain frequencies to help you hear better.

The feature works when you’re not only listening to content like songs from your account. Apple Music, but also conversations when no music is playing. The hearing enhancements are applied to other Apple devices, from computers to speakers and tablets.

To help all users preserve their hearing, Apple has also added a feature that reduces sound levels in very loud environments – such as an amplified concert or a workshop with flying power tools – to safe levels.

I received an early preview of the app while using a beta version of the software. Now available for all AirPods Pro 2 uSERS as part of a larger iPhone iOS update.

How to use the AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature

The first step is to update your iPhone to iOS 18.1. To do this, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If the automatic updates option is not enabled, the phone will ask if you want to update to the latest version. Click to start the update, ideally with your phone connected.

Once the update is complete, you can access the hearing test in one of two places: the AirPods tab in the Settings menu or in the Health app under Hearing Test.

Before starting the test, the phone will ask you to test the fit of the headphones to make sure they are seated and sealed properly. Put your AirPods in your ears and your iPhone. will play a short piece of music. When it’s ready, the screen on your phone will report that the fit is either good or less than optimal in one or both ears. If it is off in only one ear, try adjusting the placement in the ear canal. Gently twisting the bud often works better than just pushing it harder or deeper. If the fit is off in both buds, you may need to choose larger or smaller silicone ear tips from the options that come with your AirPods.

A proper fit is important with any hearing aid, whether it’s a over-the-counter model or a model prescribed by an audiologist.

The app also listens to background noise during the match test. When a nearby train honked at a level crossing, I was instructed to find a quieter spot for my audio test. Since an audiogram is often done in a soundproof room, it makes sense to find the quietest place you can.

The AirPods app even asks if you have congestion (which I did) or if you’ve recently been exposed to loud noises like electrical equipment or a loud concert (I haven’t).

The audio test itself is simple and, for anyone who has had a hearing test at an audiologist, familiar as well. The app plays three tones through AirPods. When you hear them, tap the screen on your phone. That three-tone sequence is repeated at different volumes and frequencies, first to the left ear, then to the right. Since many of the tones are quite faint, it requires quite a lot of concentration, but the whole test only takes about 5 minutes.

The results appear on the phone. If you have mild to moderate hearing loss, the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 (or another over-the-counter hearing aid) can help. The results also include an audiogram, a chart that shows which specific frequencies are affected by hearing loss.

My ratio was, despite the upper respiratory congestion, below the threshold for even the mildest hearing loss. For others, AirPods Pro 2 can serve as a kind of “bridge device” for use as needed in situations where it is difficult to hear a conversation or music, video and calls. And for those concerned about the stigma of wearing hearing aids, AirPods offer a compelling alternative.

Who’s to say you’re not just listening to your favorite playlist?

We’ll update this article as more users rate these features on AirPods Pro 2.

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