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

Click on Settings > Bluetooth > click the i next to your headphones…

underneath the noise control options you should see Take a Hearing Test in blue

if you are not seeing that either your phone isn’t on 18.2 or the firmware on the AirPods is on 7B21 or your AirPods aren’t the Pro v2

As many have stated there is no hearing aid function available in the UK which in my book has been severe false or loose advertising on Apples part

The problem is that your IOS is up to date so to use the AirPods as hearing aids you can wait until they are approved or you can set them up on an older iPad or iPhone with an IOS less than 18.1.

The AirPod Pro 2s have been available to use as hearing aids since September 2022 with no restrictions.

Judith - I'm ready to buy the Apple Pro 2 ear pods but see no point until Apple iron out the appropriate registration with MRSA. Could YOU let Apple know exactly what they need to do to make them available in the UK PLEASE. why are these multinational companies so inept when it comes down to small details ?? Clearly not your fault or problem, but the right info to the right person could make all the difference ?!?! Thanks in anticipation -

jo*******y@hotmail.com

[Edited by Moderator]

I’ve been massively frustrated by this. As I already have hearing aids, being able to apply my audiogram, was he main reason for getting the AirPod pros at Christmas.

had several calls with apple health team and got nowhere

really think someone has messed up though. The ability to do this was there, but they moved it in ios18. In uk though we don’t have enjoyed access to the section to get to media assist (which is what it’s now called)

Why can't Apple release in the UK with a caveat saying something like:

The hearing aid feature is not approved for use in your country use at your own risk and loads more T&C (agree/no agree)

It's not like they are that good anyway due to their limited battery life and won't last the whole day.

I have a pair of NHS hearing aids which use a battery, not ideal, but they do last the best part of a week and actually are very good (I hear 3K private ones aren't much better). I'm luckily enough to live in an area served by Specsavers but did need a referral from my GP. However, the Pro's are useful as a backup, or in the evening just to watch TV etc. and they are much better at handing off to my Mac or iPad. The NHS ones will only pair with my iPhone and refuse to pair with my Mac.

Why can't Apple release in the UK with a caveat saying something like:

The hearing aid feature is not approved for use in your country use at your own risk and loads more T&C (agree/no agree)

Because they are not allowed to. I've been using mine running IOS 17.7.1 since September with no problems. They have actually been available to use as hearing aids since September 2022.

It's not like they are that good anyway due to their limited battery life and won't last the whole day.

Be creative and buy a second pair like I did. Two pairs in the sale for 25% cost of a pair of hearing aids from Costco.

I have a pair of NHS hearing aids which use a battery, not ideal, but they do last the best part of a week and actually are very good (I hear 3K private ones aren't much better). I'm luckily enough to live in an area served by Specsavers but did need a referral from my GP. However, the Pro's are useful as a backup, or in the evening just to watch TV etc. and they are much better at handing off to my Mac or iPad. The NHS ones will only pair with my iPhone and refuse to pair with my Mac.

They work so well with Apple TV too.

Before we all rush out and buy old iPhones to access a previous iOS.....I have iOS 15.8.3 running and the only place I can see my Airbuds 2 is in Bluetooth where it says they are connected. They don't show up anywhere in Settings. Unless someone can help........

Before we all rush out and buy old iPhones to access a previous iOS.....I have iOS 15.8.3 running and the only place I can see my Airbuds 2 is in Bluetooth where it says they are connected. They don't show up anywhere in Settings. Unless someone can help........

With the AirPods in your ears go into settings and they should appear just under your Apple ID details etc.

Have you tried Settings/Accessibility/Audio & Visual/Headphone Accommodations ? Click on Custom Setup. You will need to download the Mimi app to take a hearing test or you can use your audiogram from your audiologist.

Will your iPhone update to a newer IOS? Which one?

Interested to know if you ever worked out a way of applying your audiogram to music and movies etc using the iPad,

I’ve tried this option as my iPad is older, but as you can’t get the health app on an iPad, my audiogram isn’t there

ive also tried a very old iPhone running 15.8 but that didn’t work either.

do think someone at apple has really messed up here. Removing an existing function from Headphone Accommodations and putting it into the AirPod hearing health section (ie the very area we in the uk can’t now get into!!!!)

I do already have hearing aids, and have up to now used nuraphones for music. Bought the AirPods specially to be able to finally hear music tuned to my own audiogram though

Interested to know if you ever worked out a way of applying your audiogram to music and movies etc using the iPad,

I’ve tried this option as my iPad is older, but as you can’t get the health app on an iPad, my audiogram isn’t there

ive also tried a very old iPhone running 15.8 but that didn’t work either.

do think someone at apple has really messed up here. Removing an existing function from Headphone Accommodations and putting it into the AirPod hearing health section (ie the very area we in the uk can’t now get into!!!!)

I do already have hearing aids, and have up to now used nuraphones for music. Bought the AirPods specially to be able to finally hear music tuned to my own audiogram though

I have mine working on a 2018 iPad running 17.7.1, the same IOS I have one my iPhone.

Have you tried taking a photo of your audiogram and loading the data from it manually?

iPhone 6s.it won't even recognise the Airbuds. Bluetooth says "Connected".......and that's about it......no sign of them in "Settings", Mimi works Ok so Hearing test results is stored in "Health".....but that's about it........unless I'm doing something wrong..........If it only works with iOS 17........then I doubt if I'll find a phone that hasn't been updated to 18.......we'll have to wait on Apple......

Well done in getting that to work, do you ever get a message on the iPad saying headphones incompatible, use apple or beats

also where did you load from, as I don’t think health app works on iPad

thanks

In that case we should be getting the feature with the next update 🤞

Let's hope so because we don't know how long the MHRA will take to approve them. Then there is the wait from Apple while they create the update.

Even when it arrives I won't be applying the update on my iPhone until I have tried it on a different device to see that all the options I currently have that are pre 18.1 are still there.

in this article the mhra agreed to recognise foreign approvals including class IIa devices of which AirPods as hearing aid fall within.

https://www.insideeulifesciences.com/2024/05/22/uk-mhra-announces-intention-to-recognize-certain-international-approvals-for-certain-medical-devices/