UPDATE
24 February 2025
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.
“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.
Mild to moderate hearing loss affects millions of people in the UK. Research has shown that untreated hearing loss can affect a person’s overall health and wellbeing, including an increased risk of dementia and social isolation.
Using the personalised hearing profile generated from the intuitive Hearing Test that takes about five minutes to complete, the feature enables personalised dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them boosted in real time. This helps users better engage in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them. With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across devices.
This first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point. Both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in science and were validated through rigorous scientific studies.
With the introduction of the Hearing Aid feature, AirPods Pro 2 offers UK users an end-to-end hearing health experience focused on prevention, awareness, and assistance. Loud Sound Reduction helps users prevent exposure to loud environmental noise while preserving the sound signature of what they’re listening to. The Hearing Test feature is a scientifically validated hearing test that users can take themselves with AirPods Pro 2 and a compatible iPhone or iPad. Users are provided with an easy-to-understand summary of their results, including a number representing hearing loss in each ear as well as an audiogram, which is stored privately and securely in the Health app and can be shared with a healthcare provider to have more informed conversations on possible assistance that may be required.
Privacy is fundamental in the design and development across all of Apple’s health features. When a user’s device is locked with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID, all of their health and fitness data in the Health app — other than Medical ID — is encrypted. Any health data backed up to iCloud is encrypted both in transit and on Apple servers. When using iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS with the default two-factor authentication and a passcode, Health app data synced to iCloud is encrypted end-to-end, meaning that Apple does not have the key to decrypt the data and therefore cannot read it.
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- The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware, paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later, and is intended for people 18 years or older. The Hearing Aid feature is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.
- The Loud Sound Reduction feature works with AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac, running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia or later.