Why are AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid features not available in the UK?

I can't see any difference with 18.1 My audiogram is uploaded and conversation boost is still there. Am I missing something?

Is amplification working for you? When audiogram is selected to tune my audio (custom transparency mode), then amplification has no effect, it’s not able to access the audiogram to produce the custom transparency mode effect anymore. I think it’s just applying a generic transparency mode setting, but not specific to your audiogram.

gr7 wrote: "...Edit: apologies for the giant pic"

gr7 ~ To reduce the dimensions of screenshots that you post:

1. Add the original sized screenshot to your post.

2. Tap the screenshot – handles should then appear at each corner:

3. Drag a corner to resize. (On an iPhone, it's better to do this in landscape orientation so you can see the new, smaller size.)

4. Post.

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Two weeks at my GP to get a hearing test. And hearing aids weeks after. All the GP has to do is check your ears for infection or wax. If clear then the trick is to pick Spec Savers for your hearing test. Very quick. And they do fab free ones that even Bluetooth to your mobile phone for music! Also an app to alter them. Good luck.

chopcat wrote:

Tinnitus is, for many, a fundamental part and a symptom of hearing loss. Not the same agreed. The ability for airpods to assist and for (potential) users like me who have retrochohlear nuroma to adjust the audiogram will be fantastic. But until, or as it now sounds, if they are ever, licensed for use in the UK I will wait.

The more options that people with hearing issues have, the better. It's only recently in the U.S. that it was legal to buy them "over the counter." Given that there is little coverage for hearing aids in the health care that most retired people have, expensive hearing aids are often out of the question.

I hope the AirPods as hearing aids becomes available in the UK soon!

Thanks for your helpful reply.

Unfortunately, as I'd already heard that the hearing test and aid features would not be available until the update to iOS 18.1, I didn't even consider the AirPods Pro until I'd picked up and installed the update. I had no idea that by doing so I'd actually remove all useful features as well as being denied access to the ones which had been advertised as dependent on that update. Double whammy!

If you are over 60 you can go to your GP and get a referral to Specsavers who will do a hearing test and dispense NHS hearing aids as well as the ones they sell. Go with the NHS ones - they are nearly as good and free.

Regarding “doing your homework” - Would to say having detailed lengthy chats with Apple sales people in a UK Apple Store should cover it, or do we need to be looking elsewhere? Or just keep going.

I chatted about the hearing test and aid features as well as hearing protection (noise cancellation) for gigs. At no point was it suggested to me they are not available in the UK. And regards hearing protection, it was suggested that ear plugs would do a better job.

Clearly there is a bit of a miss by Apple UK regarding communications about this product under iOS 18.1.

@rasg thank you for the helpful reply. @me: AAARGH - look before you leap. I updated to 18 SPECIFICALLY to access the HA feature (as suggested by Apple). Oh well.

But back to the point: by "...an older IOS you could set them up on that" are you suggesting that you can configure the AirPods to an audiogram on an old device and that will persist onto the new one?

Ok, so just to clarify, are you talking about iOS 18.2 fixing the audio accessibility and adding back the ability to use an audiogram to drive phone audio and transparency mode in those countries where Hearing Aid mode is not supported?

From what I read elsewhere, they’ll just include the ability to take an audiogram with your iPhone in some additional countries, and out of those countries only enable the Hearing Aid feature in the UAE.

So to be clear on this, are we saying that the AirPod setup is persistent across devices [that are Bluetoothing to them] until the setup is edited on whatever device is connected at the time? Or alternatively, when you connect to a different device the new Bluetooth session picks up a new setup from the new device? Because if the former then there are workarounds. This is what @rasg seems to be implying. Can @rasg or others confirm?

Well. Appears I’m wrong the hearing test will be there but one can’t link the audiogram to the headphone accommodation settings and set up a custom eq. 8-(

A pre 18 iOS is the only way so far…

Best I don’t update my iPad Pro.

Does anyone know if the custom eq persists on the buds, or does the custom setting get set according to the device its attached to?

[Edited by Moderator]

If you are over 60 you can go to your GP and get a referral to

Specsavers who will do a hearing test and dispense NHS hearing aids as

well as the ones they sell. Go with the NHS ones - they are nearly as

good and free.

This one is a real postcode lottery. Different areas use different suppliers and it is down to your local area what is available and the services offered.