Apple has just announced a pioneering hearing health feature suite for the AirPods Pro 2, aiming to make hearing care more accessible. The update follows insights shared on October 22 into Apple's Audio Lab, a facility in Cupertino, California, equipped with advanced acoustic testing equipment where Apple engineers developed these features.
The new hearing health suite includes three core functionalities: Hearing Protection, an at-home Hearing Test, and a Hearing Aid mode. With Hearing Protection, AirPods Pro 2 can detect and monitor surrounding noise levels, notifying users when volumes reach potentially damaging levels, thus protecting them in real time.
In addition to protecting hearing, Apple’s at-home Hearing Test provides users with a convenient tool for regular hearing assessments without the need for a clinic visit. This functionality could be a game changer for those who may not realize they have mild hearing loss and want an accessible way to monitor changes over time. Apple's team also designed the AirPods’ new Hearing Aid mode to use built-in microphones to amplify speech, making conversations more understandable for those with mild to moderate hearing loss.
These developments come at a time when hearing health issues are a growing concern, with the World Health Organization estimating that around 1.5 billion people worldwide experience some form of hearing loss. Often, young people may be unaware of the gradual decline in their hearing due to frequent exposure to loud environments, from concerts to busy urban settings. Apple’s integration of hearing tools within its widely used AirPods offers a discreet, accessible, and proactive approach to addressing hearing health.
Apple’s Audio Lab played a crucial role in the creation of these features. Engineers worked to perfect AirPods’ Conversation Boost and Transparency Mode in a controlled lab setting, simulating real-world environments to ensure that the new functions would be highly effective in daily life. Apple’s cross-departmental collaboration also helped create an intuitive user interface, making the hearing health tools easy to set up for first-time users. "AirPods have become more than just earbuds; they are now a complete interface to the ear,” says Heather Daniel, producer in Apple's Design Studio and a health feature design manager.
To experience these features, AirPods Pro 2 users only need to install the latest firmware update, accessible through the Settings app on a paired iPhone. Once updated, users can explore the Hearing section in the Health app, where they can set up the Hearing Test, enable Hearing Protection, and activate the Hearing Aid feature. With these updates, Apple is transforming AirPods Pro 2 into a tool that not only enhances but also protects and monitors hearing, further expanding the role of consumer tech in personal health management.
