Hearing loss affects 18 million adults in the UK and can have a serious impact on daily life, from socialising to mental health. While hearing aids are freely available on the NHS, Apple's latest update to the Airpods promises to help with this problem in one simple way.
Over the years, we've seen plenty of updates on the Apple Watch to improve safety and health features - including sleep apnea notifications and Training Load on the newest Apple Watch. So much so, the devices made our list of best fitness trackers. Yet, updates on the brand's Airpods to match this have been few and far between - until now.
People affected by hearing loss in the UK can use their Apple AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids, following an update to existing software this week. The update means that sounds from your phone and the noises around you will be automatically boosted when wearing the headphones.
To take advantage of the feature, users complete a five-minute Hearing Test on an iPad or iPhone while wearing the headphones so the AirPods will know how severe or moderate the hearing loss is and can adjust sound levels accordingly.
Millions of people in the UK suffer from hearing loss of some kind and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) estimates it affects over half of people aged 55 or older. It can impact many areas of life - from social activities to mental health and communication. Recent research even suggests that wearing a hearing aid can help prevent dementia and increase longevity.
While hearing aid technology is always improving, it can still be isolating if you can’t hear the world around you. It’s also very common for people to be reluctant about wearing a hearing aid, according to the charity, with a poll finding that many people are concerned the aids would make them "look old" or "that people might make fun of them".
Not wearing a hearing aid won’t make your hearing worse but it could make the associated issues of hearing loss - such as difficulty concentrating, poor balance, or a lack of spatial awareness - worse. Apple’s new technology aims to take a step towards alleviating some of these problems.
If you're looking to take advantage of the new Hearing Aid feature, you'll need a pair of the Apple Airpods Pro 2. Along with the new feature, these have double the Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation of the AirPods Pro. .
How does the hearing aid feature work on Apple Airpods?
Hearing aids use microphones to pick up sounds around you and then the sounds are adjusted, amplified, and played into your ear. This is exactly what the AirPods can now do to amplify the sounds from music, films, games or phone calls.
Apple says: “This first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point. Both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in science and were validated through rigorous scientific studies.”
The Hearing Aid feature will also summarise how bad your hearing loss is in each ear and offer an audiogram of your Hearing Test that you can share with an audiologist if you think more assistance is needed. AirPods already feature technology to protect your hearing, such as a ‘loud sound reduction system’ which detects loud sounds around you and brings them down to lower levels, and a volume limit on your headphone audio.
This is all great news - Apple is bringing health-enhancing features to products that millions of us already own. However, there is a small warning from the experts. While this is an excellent feature, if you are struggling with hearing loss, it shouldn't be seen as the alternative to seeking proper medical help.
"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," says Crystal Rolfe, the director of health at RNID. "The announcement that Apple has released the hearing aid feature with AirPods Pro 2 has the potential to make a huge difference."
However, Rolfe warns: that anyone with signs of hearing loss should still 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," she says. "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."
You must see a GP or hearing health professional if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Pain in your ears
- Discharge from your ears
- Ear infections
- Tinnitus (hearing a sound that does not have an outside source)
- Dizziness
- Feeling as though your hearing is gradually getting worse
- A significant difference in hearing between your ears, or feeling you can only hear out of one ear
How to get the hearing aid feature on the AirPods Pro 2
To use the exciting new hearing aid feature, you'll need the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and an iPhone or iPad running the latest software. Once your devices are fully charged, follow Apple's set-up guidance to set up the Hearing Aid feature from scratch:
- Put your AirPods in your ears and make sure they are connected with your iPhone or iPad.
- Go to Settings, then to AirPods.
- Tap Hearing Assistance, then Take a Hearing Test and follow the instructions.
- Tap a result from the list when you're finished, and tap Next. You can also use a result from a hearing health professional if you tap Add a Hearing Test Result and follow the instructions.
- Tap Set Up Hearing Aid, tap Get Started, tap Next, then tap Turn On Hearing Aid.
Follow the Apple set-up guidance for full advice and troubleshooting. Also, it may take some time to get used to the new feature with small changes needed in the amplification level and balance, which you can make manually.
