With a recent software upgrade, Apple has turned their AirPods Pro 2 earbuds into a hearing aid for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. It’s equivalent to an OTC hearing aid, a new category authorized by the FDA two years ago. To set it up, you simply open the systems menu on your iPhone, click on the AirPods item near the top of the page, and open the new hearing menu.
The first step is to take a hearing test using your AirPods connected to your iPhone, listening to and acknowledging a series of tones at different frequencies and intensities. It will then tell you the results for each ear. In my case it told me my right ear had a mild hearing loss and the left ear a moderate loss.
Once I finished the test on my iPhone, the AirPods were automatically programmed to correct my hearing. The improvement in clarity was easily discernible. I could hear the higher frequency chirps of our pet birds at the other end of the house with them, but nothing without the buds. Television seemed easier to understand with more high frequency sounds and less boominess, and general conversation seemed a bit clearer.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that nearly 30 million adults in the U.S. could benefit from hearing aids, yet only about 16% of those who need hearing assistance actually use them. Many people with hearing loss avoid seeking assistance due to social stigma or simply a lack of awareness. Now it’s possible to determine for yourself whether you might benefit at home on your own. Apple has done a great service, especially since the feature was added at no cost and is made available to everyone that owns the Pro 2 version.
The AIrPod Pro 2 costs $249 at Apple and $200 at Costco. (Costco also provides two free years of Apple Care). The AirPod Pro 2 performs reasonably well for listening to music and especially well in an airplane with its noise canceling capabilities, approaching the capabilities of a Bose over-the-ears headphone.
I have never worn hearing aids, but as a result of the test results, I decided to make an appointment at Costco, considered to be one of the best places for buying hearing aids. While the AirPods would probably work well enough as a hearing aid, it’s not something I’d want to wear in a restaurant or outside of my home. They are easily lost and most people would think you’re listening to music instead of engaging with them.
Costco does not charge for a hearing test and no purchase is required. They gave me a much more extensive test than the one using my phone, but the conclusions were very similar: mild loss in the right ear and moderate in the left. They said I had sufficient loss to benefit from one of the prescription hearing aids that they sell. By bringing the hearing aid feature to the AirPods Pro 2, Apple is educating many like myself who rarely thought about the need for a hearing aid.
