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

Don’t hold your breath. I’m from the cynical school of rip off Britain. The ‘hearing aid industry’ will be protecting their lucrative stream of expensive hearing aids who don’t want low cost air pods killing it off.

Thanks for that, what's the lowest iOS?

I'm not sure. Try what you have. If you have a device that is on an older IOS check how far you can update it as long as it's not 18.1.

Definitely IOS 16 will work along with 17.

Really? I don't think that's true frankly. I've updated to 18.2 but no joy. Spent hours trying to get this going with Apple's Kafkian maze of a user interface and no joy. How did you make it work? Is there a link to instructions / announcement you can share?

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]

As ever with apple everything is a secret. Looking at the list of countries with approval it may be outwith Apple’s control. However, why would Apple deliberately target the UK to not have hearing aid functionality? The whole thing is bizarre.

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........

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

Hi Rasg Thanks for your help.

I'm going to try a buy an old iPhone but none of these iPhone models compatible with iOS 18 – Apple Support (UK)

Do you know if the Headphone Accommodation will work with the older AirPods Pro?

Why would you want an iPhone that's compatible with IOS 18? As long as it works and runs 16 or 17 it will run the AirPod Pro 2s as hearing aids allowing you to add your own audiogram from your audiologist or by testing your ears with the Mimi app. The original AirPod Pros work too but nowhere near as well as the Pro 2s. The hearing aid feature has worked going as far back as 2019.

I know my sister's iPhone 12 works and my 2018 iPad also works and runs 17.7.1. I haven’t looked further back than that because I haven’t needed to.

I don't. I want one that doesn't support 18 such as an iPhone 8 but I'll keep my 15 which works well with the NHS aids.

My old iPad has 17.7.2 and hearing accessibility works fine with my AirPods Pro 1. I used the scan audiogram feature which worked surprisingly well.

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