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]
Apple SupportUK is as much use as a chocolate fireguard on this subject. I enquire and had to jump through several hoops e.g "Serial number please". Nothing wrong with the AirPods Pro 2 just asking why the UK is not included.
Did a bit of research and this is what came up from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Apple simply hasn't registered them in the UK! This is the MHRA response.
Thank you for your email.
As of 18 Nov 2024, Apple Inc has not registered the AirPods Pro 2 or Hearing Aid Feature as a medical device with the MHRA. Details on what Apple has registered with the MHRA are available to search on the Public Access Registrations Database (PARD) at the following link PARD
Registration of devices with the MHRA (the UK Competent Authority) does not represent any form of accreditation, certification, approval or endorsement by the MHRA.
In accordance with the above, medical device manufacturers must ensure that all information registered with the MHRA is accurate and up to date.
You may wish to contact Apple UK (see details below) to learn of plans to introduce the Hearing Aid Feature in the UK.
Telephone: 0800 107 6285
Contact – Official Apple Support (UK)
Get technical support for Apple’s Accessibility features
Connect with British Sign Language support
Kind regards,
Judith
MHRA Customer Experience Centre
Communications and engagement
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
[Edited by Moderator]
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.
in this article the mhra agreed to recognise foreign approvals including class IIa devices of which AirPods as hearing aid fall within.
Well it’s somehow working for me. I’m uk based, using 18.3 on AirPod firmware version 7B21. After the software update I connected my AirPods, went into their settings via the settings menu and the hearing assistance option now shows either ability to set up as hearing aids.
I posted the article.
Is your Mum's iPhone on an older IOS? If it's not you can get the hearing aid feature with an IOS older than 18.1. I am still running IOS 17.7.1 and you can set them up as hearing aids while you wait for Apple's official update.
You just use Settings/Accessilbilty/Audio & Visual/Headphone Accommodations
The hearing aid feature was first available on the original AirPods Pro back as far as 2019 and the same for AirPods Pro 2s in September 2022. Apple simply didn’t publicise it. In the US Apple would have been in trouble with the FDA if they had.
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.
Hopefully this means it's getting closer and they're not going to make us wait for Airpod Pro 3's - https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/apple-airpods-hearing-test-update-34338820.
I have moderate hearing loss and have been using the transparency features for over a year successfully. Music sounds much clearer, and I'm able to converse with people almost as well as I can with my prescription hearing aids. I'm not sure why you are no longer able to use your audiogram as it is still available on my APP2 with ios 18.1
Where do you live? Approval hasn't been granted to many countries including, Canada, the UK, France, Italy and Spain. IOS 18.1 "breaks" the Airpods in the locations that haven't been approved. You are no longer able to continue using them.
Even if your country does get approval, if your hearing test shows severe hearing loss the Airpods won’t work. They are only good for mild to moderate hearing loss.
The AirPod Pro 2s have been available as hearing aids since 2022 when they were first launched.
If you already have the AirPod Pro 2s AND your iPhone is on an old IOS like 17.7.1 or older they will already work as hearing aids without any restrictions.
If that is the case, you can go online to YouTube and there are loads of videos explaining how to do it, or reply to this message and I will explain how to do it. I have been using them for five weeks and I never rush to update to any new apps or updates as there are always glitches to iron out.
If you have an older iPad, (I have a 2018) running IOS 17.7.1 you can set them up without the latest restrictions and they work in any country. You just apply your Audiogram to the Airpods in Headphone Accommodations. If you don't have an audiogram, download the Mimi app and use it for your hearing test.
Even an old iPhone 12 running IOS 17.7.1 will do the job.
Just saw this article in Wired on getting around Apple's geolocation in order to get acccess to the hearing aid functionality. I lack the skills, tools, and microwave to do it, but someone might find it useful. Edit - URL got removed, but go to Wired's homepage and you'll find it
Yet someone else reports tonight that it does work in 18.2 in the UK
with a screenshot of the same screen I see on the iPad in 18.0
No issue. Just interested to know. If you set up with an older IOS on a different device and you don't carry it around with you, it is handy if your iPhone running 18.1 or newer will let you know that the AirPods need charging. That's all.
Thanks for the instructions. Might be a silly question. Does that mean I cannot connect the AirPods at all to my ios18 device. Have an old iPad & iPhone but don’t want to carry 2 devices.
by the way most stores in uk have the pro 2 at £179 whereas at apple stores they are £229 & refused to price match.
Yes you can but you won't be able to change any of the hearing aid settings. In the end it's a very good workaround until your country (UK if I remember) gets approval.
I suspect that the reason the hearing aid function is disabled in the UK is because the UK market for hearing aids is a cartel which protects its highly overpriced market in much the same way that opticians were able to do with glasses until the market was de-regulated. This was particularly evident in the contact lens sector where you could only buy lenses at great expense from an optician with a "prescription" That requirement was abolished years ago and the same opticians now make massive profits from hearing aids instead. There is no reason why a modern mobile phone app cannot allow the user to set up iPods as hearing aids, and at a fraction of the price.
104 counties have the hearing test and hearing aid feature
AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple
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Why are AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid features not available in the UK?
