I just updated my iPhone to iOS 18.1 and cannot see the hearing aid/hearing test features. My AirPods are up to date 7B19
I'm in the UK if that makes any difference.
I've just noticed that the feature is not available in the UK. It's just about the only country where it's not available
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Well I just bought a pair of AirPods Pro 2 from the local Apple Store in the UK. I spoke to the sales people at length about how I was impressed by their inclusion of hearing tests, hearing aid and protection functions. I liked that you wear them in noisy environment to protect your hearing. Clever stuff which closed the sale for me.
At no point did they suggest that none of these features are actually available to UK customers (because of regulations for test and aid, and actually protection is only available in N America). In effect, the product was missold to me. I am therefore disappointed and feel misled.
The AirPods Pro to a UK user are OK as they are, but could have been much better. Bit of a con really.
I think have really dropped the ball on this if the Apple Stores are not warning you that you unable to use the hearing aid feature in the UK yet before you buy them. There is no date for the UK yet and I read somewhere earlier today that Apple haven’t even applied for MHRA approval in the UK yet. I think the person who was posting had contacted the MHRA directly.
If you haven’t updated your iPhone to IOS 18.1 you can still use the Airpods as hearing Aids with an older IOS without the geographical lock and for me with mild to moderate hearing loss they work really well. I've been using them for five or six weeks. They won't help you that much if your hearing loss is severe or profound.
If you are not on IOS 18.1 you can set them up straight away. If you have an iPad or an older iPhone that is running an older IOS you could set them up on that. You will need to download the free Mimi app to do do a hearing test OR you can download your audiogram by taking a photo of it.
Assuming you have set them up using Bluetooth after you have taken a hearing test. Go to Settings/Accessibility/Audio Visual and click on Headphone Accommodations. Click on Audiogram and it will ask you which one to use. If you used the Mimi app the test will appear with todays date. Select it. In the next menu you can hear a sample of music and toggle between music with your Audiogram applied and without it so you know your Audiogram is working.
Go to the bottom and click on Transparency Mode and also switch Conversation boost on.
With the Airpods connected to your phone or iPad, your Airpods will appear close to the top of the Settings menu. Click on it. Switch Conversation Awareness on. Switch Loud Sound Reduction on. Go almost to the bottom and do an Ear Tip Fit Test to make sure you have a good seal in your ears.
That's about it but there are loads of settings you can play around with. In the last menu I mentioned you can simply set them to Adaptive Mode which will automatically set Noise Cancellation volume according to your surroundings. Otherwise you tinker with the Background Volume and Hearing Aid Volume manually independently of each other.
Hope this helps. Copy it quick!
I made an enquiry to the MHRA about this and today I’ve received a response:
Dear Dan,
Thank you for your patience.
Apple Inc have registered an Air-conduction hearing aid software with MHRA on the 11th of December 2024.
Kind regards,
hopefully this means it will be coming very soon!
To be clear it's only the hearing test in the UK in 18.2. The hearing aid feature is not available in the UK.
It's not incorrect. I'm not denying you could do that or that it helped
with some things. But it didn't do what a hearing aid does and wasn't
approved as such.
I see you are determined to split hairs on this. We all now know that the Apple AirPod Pro 2s that were released in 2022 and many people in the know have been using them for a while. Apple didn't have FDA approval so they couldn't market them as such.
The word "aid" means to help or assist so those people have been using them as hearing aids for a couple of years. Without mine all I hear is a muffled smudge in my left earso they are definitely aiding my hearing.
You are using some technicality to decide they are not really hearing aids yet they have been aiding people with their hearing for more than two years.
I bet if you asked anybody who uses them to aid their hearing, they would disagree with you.
I suspect the UK is the same as Canada in that over the counter hearing aids are not allowed to be sold as they’re considered medical devices, subject to regulations. So it’s not up to Apple, it has everything to do with governments and regulation. I suspect the hearing aid feature may never be available in Canada.
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.
Mackers67 wrote:
Looks like it’s getting close. Also reported in The Telegraph.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green-light-for-groundbreaking-hearing-aids
This is great news. There is now no reason why the hearing aid feature will not be made available with the next update.
I could have easily been a co-author of @rasg above except I’m in Australia. I had the exact same experience on 18 December 2024 when, after researching the AirPods Pro 2 decided they would be perfect for me with mild hearing loss.
The sales person confirmed the hearing function WAS available. I called Apple to confirm and was not impressed that Australia hadn’t the option YET. The store offered a full refund, however, the Apple representative recommended I wait, as approval for use as a hearing device for mild hearing loss was imminent.
We are now into the first week of February and still no progress. To say I’m dissatisfied is an understatement.
It’s not easy to get answers. Apple needs to keep us, globally that is, well informed.
You need to read the document ‘Hearing aids in the UK - policy statement’ Published 16 January 2025 on the Gov UK website.
It sets out the DHSC position and interprets the supply of AirPod Pro and other such devices as not contravening current regulations.
The Health Minister has cleared away these barriers, allowing the use of such items and software.
Read this for full details and all will become clear. It’s a de facto deregulation of this part of the industry.
…and a good thing.
104 counties have the hearing test and hearing aid feature
AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple
I also have done exactly the same updates as you, here in the UK, and I have the same problem. Hopefully get it soon
Yes I did and I won't be updating to IOS 18.1 until the the MHRA has approved the use of the Airpods in the UK.
If I updated the Airpods will lose the ability to use my audiogram.
As I understand the MHRA the AirPods are a class of device that just needs to be registered. There is no ‘approval’ procedure. Apple just needs to gets it stuff together!
I do still think The hearing assist function is absolutely amazing though.
Mine are working well. The ambient noise reduction is excellent as well. At last we are there with this function in the UK 😊🥳
rasg wrote:
Well you need to explain to me why moderate hearing loss left ear has magically started working again when I wear my Airpods. I am hearing music like it never went away and the pleasant rain background sound helps to mask my tinnitus when I am relaxing.
Tinnitus is not the same as hearing loss.
It sounds like you work for Apple and you don't want people to know.
If I worked for Apple, I probably wouldn't be allowed to post here. In fact, I work for a primarily undergraduate university.
I didn't say that tinnitus is the same as hearing loss. What I said was that the Airpods helped me with it.
I notice you didn’t address this:
"Well you need to explain to me why moderate hearing loss left ear has magically started working again when I wear my Airpods. I am hearing music like it never went away."
On the basis that you work for a University, maybe you should do your research better?
When Apple released the Airpod Pro 2s in 2022 they allowed you to apply your Audiogram to them and it makes a huge difference to many people.
Many of the people around the world are already using Airpod Pro 2s as hearing aids whether you like it or not. Some with severe hearing hearing loss because it works for them. Certainly on the music side of things.
Why are AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid features not available in the UK?
