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

Nope. Does not work. Can do it with my iPad Pro which I’ve had to leave on iPadOS 18.0 now so I don’t lose this functionality.

Dont understand why I can’t see the functionality in 18.2. I’ve tried re-pairing the headphones with the iPhone and I’ve taken a new hearing Test. I have used the latest Hearing Test on the iPad to customise the earbuds and the settings seem to be persistent when I change back to using the iPhone.

I am at a loss to understand why this is such an issue. When I tried to customise the sound on the iPhone I don’t get the option to use an audiogram.

Simply because 18.2 won't allow them to work in the UK until the MHRA approves their use. IOS 18 on your iPad Pro will allow them to work. A bit of a lump to carry around if you want to change settings but they will happily work on their own even if you have no device with you. In 18.2 does the battery level of the AirPods show up?

The AirPods work as they should on my iPhone and 18.2 bar the audiogram - functions and battery levels. They work as on my M1 MBP too, again bar the audiogram thing. The AirPods switch to the active devices as they should and battery levels are visible.

The custom audio set up on the iPad seems to be persistent unless you do a custom setup on the iPhone which will naturally overwrite it as one might expect.

All I’m missing is the supposed ability to use an audiogram to customise the audio on 18.2 like I can on the iPad on 18.0 - something which someone here reckons is possible. It isn’t AFAICS.

All 18.2 has done is activate the hearing test. Great! 8-(

It's not possible and won't be until the Hearing Aid feature is approved by the MHRA in the UK. At least your iPad is giving you the chance to use them and evaluate them to see if they will work for you. I never updated my iPhone and I'm happy to leave it on 17.7.1 for the time being.

Yesterday I got in touch with the uk MHRA and they e mailed back stating Apple has NOT requested approval as of 18th nov 2024, I can post the email if anyone needs to see it

UK users can now update their software to IOS 18.3, the hearing aid feature has finally been released!!!

I suppose you already had your AirpodsPro 2 working as hearing aid before you updated to iOS 18?

I have mine working but never updated for that very reason as 18.1 prevents the hearing aid feature for working if you live in the "wrong" country. Lots of frustration from many people living in those countries. Especially those that brought the Pro 2s to use as hearing aids.

If you do, 18.1 stops them working as hearing aids. Note I said 18.1. Not 18 or 18.01. The last two allow them to continue working. It is 18.1 that is causing the problem as 18.1 has approval in over 100 countries but not countries like Canada, the UK, France and Spain.

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!

From the above:

It's not the NHS - it's the MHRA which is a Government agency - entirely separate. So don't blame the NHS.

A request for approval has been submitted by Apple but this has not been actioned by MHRA yet.

It's likely that it will be approved - so that's good news.

Need to do your homework before you splash £200 on a pair of headphones. When you look at product features on Apple site, there are disclaimers/regional variations.

I agree, it's frustrating but we all just need to be patient. Would be good if Apple could give a progress update or predicted feature addition date...

If you can't wait a year for NHS to do hearing test, could get it done on High St (Specsavers, Boots, etc), same as you would for eyes.

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!

According to another post, MHRA have not received an application from Apple for this. 8-(

I bought them especially for this function - it wasn’t very clear that’s it’s not available in the UK.

I wouldn’t have bought them if I’d known. Bit cheated really.

Thank you. I just had another hearing test, which appears at the top of the 3 tests that I’ve taken in my Health app.

Unfortunately, changing the amplification slider for transparency (with Audiogram being selected as the source to ‘Tune audio for’) still has no effect, even when ‘conversation boost’ is enabled.

It won't as they will not work in the UK until they are approved by the MHRA.

The only way you will get them working is with an older Apple iPad or iPhone running an older IOS than 18.1.