Using the Apple AirPods 2 as a hearing aid

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 AidPods were automatically programmed to correct my hearing. The improvement in clarity and hearing using them was easily discernible. I could hear the higher frequency chirps of our pet birds at the other end of the house with them and could hear nothing without them. 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.

The current model of the AIrPod Pro costs $249 at Apple and $199 at Costco (with 2 yrs of Apple Care) and performs reasonably well for listening to music and to use in an airplane for its noise canceling mode. Noise canceling has improved so much, I use it instead of over the ear noise canceling headphones.

By using the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid, users like myself can determine at home how they might benefit from a hearing aid. 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.

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 to buy hearing aids these days. 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 the test and no purchase is required. They gave me a much more extensive test than the one on the 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 will educate many like myself who never thought about the need for a hearing aid.