Apple announces innovative hearing aid feature for its wireless earphones is now available in the UK

Technology giant Apple has unveiled that its groundbreaking Hearing Aid feature is now available on AirPods Pro 2, Apple’s wireless earphones, in the UK.

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.

This announcement follows recent UK Government guidance that gives businesses around the world the green light to sell certain pioneering hearing aids in the UK. This includes earphones with both hearing test and hearing aid software functionalities. These innovative products allow someone to take a hearing test at home using their earphones and an app on their phone. If the test indicates mild to moderate hearing loss, the person can then switch on the hearing aid function on the same earphones.

Using the personalised hearing profile generated from Apple’s intuitive Hearing Test that takes about five minutes to complete, Apple’s Hearing Aid 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 excellent audio quality of AirPods Pro, the hearing profile is automatically applied to music, films, games, and phone calls across devices.

This software-based Hearing Aid feature gives users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier. Apple states that both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in science and were validated through rigorous scientific studies.

This assistive technology advancement gives 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 are listening to.

The Hearing Test feature enables users to take a test 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 Apple Health app. The results from the Hearing Test can be shared with a healthcare provider for users to have more informed conversations on possible assistance that may be required.

Welcoming Apple’s new Hearing Aid feature, Crystal Rolfe, Director of Health at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), said: “Hearing aid technology has moved on significantly in recent years. The announcement that Apple has released the hearing aid feature with AirPods Pro 2 has the potential to make a huge difference.

“Right now, there are around eight million people who could benefit from hearing aids in the UK, but only about two million use them, despite high quality hearing aids being available for free on the NHS.

“Bringing this type of technology into the mainstream signals an exciting step change in how people receive hearing care and could encourage more people to consider their hearing health.

“If you have signs of hearing loss, there are still many reasons to see a hearing health professional. They can carry out a full diagnostic hearing assessment, ensure hearing aids are programmed correctly, and also check for any underlying health conditions.

“Therefore, it’s really important that Apple customers using the new hearing aid feature see a hearing professional if they need one and we would encourage Apple to provide information about this to their customers.

“The impact of hearing aids cannot be overstated – they can be life-changing, bringing improvements to physical, social, emotional and mental well-being for users. At RNID, we are currently exploring how other emerging technologies can encourage more people to seek help for hearing loss and create an innovative vision for hearing services in the future.”