The second-generation AirPods Pro have had hearing health features for a while now. However, those tools are being expanded in iOS 18 with Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection that will soon be available on the earbuds. Apple’s three-prong approach to hearing health now covers awareness, assistance and prevention, but it all starts with the “clinically validated” hearing test you can take on your own.
Apple has created its version of the hearing test we all probably took as kids. The one where you sit in a booth and raise your hand when you hear a sound. The company offers an alternative to the booth, bulky equipment and trip to the doctor with AirPods Pro and the iPhone. In any quiet environment, the earbuds and the phone can now offer a similar test to what you’d get in a physician’s office. Here’s how it works.
From the Settings menu on your iPhone, you’ll tap into the AirPods Pro settings to find the Hearing Health section. First, the software will check to make sure the fit of your AirPods provides a good seal for the test and that your location is quiet enough for the tech to offer reliable results. Once Hearing Test begins, active noise cancellation (ANC) will be enabled and you’ll tap your iPhone screen when you hear tones on both the left and right sides. Apple employed 150,000 real-world audiograms and millions of simulations to develop a test that’s quick and easy. But most importantly, the company says, it created one that’s accurate.
Once the test is completed, you’ll get immediate results on your phone, telling you the level of hearing loss (if any) in each ear. If you have minimal hearing loss but could maybe benefit from help in certain frequencies, the software will recommend some tweaks in the Media Assist settings for entertainment audio and calls. If you have mild to moderate hearing loss, Hearing Test may suggest you use the AirPods Pro Hearing Aid feature to improve every day life.
I got a brief walkthrough of Hearing Test following the iPhone 16 event, and it seems to be as quick and easy as Apple describes. To be clear, I didn’t actually take a real test, just a simulated version with fake results, but every step in the process was accounted for in my abbreviated session. All told, you should be able to complete Hearing Test in about five minutes.
Hearing Test results will be stored in the Health app, allowing you to see changes over time. You can retake the test as often as you want, with access to hearing health articles and the ability to download results just a tap away. I should also note that Hearing Aid is designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. If Hearing Test determines that you have severe hearing loss, the software will recommend that you visit an audiologist for further guidance.
Hearing Aid is a software-based solution that boosts certain frequencies so certain sounds are enhanced on AirPods Pro. It’s a first of its kind submission to the FDA, and a tool that allows you to customize the amplification, balance and tone at any time in the settings. The feature should help people with mild to moderate hearing loss better hear conversations and environmental sounds, but also improve what they hear in music, videos and calls.
Both Hearing Aid and Hearing Test should be available this fall, pending FDA approval, as part of an iOS 18 update.
Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!
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