AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aids not available in Canada

If they have in fact been approved by Health Canada, why do we now have to get approval from our provincial health departments? I’ve sent an email to Saskatchewan Health where I live as ell I have sent a story idea to CBC Marketplace and got a request for more information, so I’m hoping they will do a story about the bureaucracy we deal with on what should be a simple approval in Canada.

Javajack wrote:

“Also, after returning from a Europe switch my Phone and MacBookPro, both offer hearing aid assistance. My new iPad Pro did not make the journey and does not offer hearing aid assistance. I tried this morning and that functionality does not exist on the iPad.”

I took both my iPhone and iPad Air to Florida in March and they both magically acquired Hearing Air functionality with AirPod Pro 2. Two months later, the HA features are still present, and have persisted across iOS updates.

All this info should be sent to a news agencies. One of their consumer reporters.

I’ve just gone thru the process that @rasg suggested and if you use the mimi app for the hearing test there is a box below the audiogram that asks if you want to integrate into Apple health.

I have read where it was approved by Health Canada and it is now up to the provinces.

I have also read that it should show up on our phones in either January or April.

Received a “not happening” reply from the BC government today. I’d post but it exceeds the character limit.

The CRE-C20’s are fairly pricey. Are they worth the price and trouble you went thru to get them? Seems like you could get a pair of prescription hearing aids from Costco for a couple of hundred $ more.

I bought some el cheapos from Amazon but have returned them as they were really bad quality (despite the reviews).

I also sent emails to my MLA and MP asking if there are any updates to OTC hearing aids in Canada.

That’s precisely what it is. IOS 18.1 does install on your compatible iPhone, and firmware 7B21 does install on your AirPods Pro 2, but the hearing test and the hearing aid functionality are unavailable in Canada. I understand that it’s the same in India as well.

No, this will not work. You have to upgrade to 18.1 to get the hearing aid function. The hearing aid function will only show up on your phone if you are physically in one of the supported countries.

I think this is the only officially supported way to get them to work.

Correct but then if you are in the "wrong" country where they are not approved you cannot use them at all. They work very well using 17.7.1 unofficially and the only difference I have heard about is that the volume output is higher running 18.1. As I have mild to moderate hearing loss they are better than fine for me.

Why would I update when the 18.1 update will prevent me from using them? They work really well on 17.7.1.

I arrived in California from Alberta 2 days ago. Yesterday Apple released 18.1.1 - I updated my iPhone (16 promax) and now I have the hearing aid option available - initial thoughts - excellent - did. 18.1.1 update in Canada in a similar fashion?

I arrived in California from Alberta 4 days ago. When Apple released 18.1.1 - I updated my iPhone (16 promax) and now I have the hearing aid option available - initial thoughts - excellent - did. 18.1.1 update in Canada in a similar fashion?

I have been fortunate in my life to never have had my freedom taken away from me...until now. And it doesn't feel good. I purchased my AirPod Pro2 devices after reading a New York Times article about the upcoming launch of their ability to be hearing aids. I am beyond distraught because I had a brief three minutes of seeing how great they were at improving my hearing and then "poof", the button I had pushed--Accessibility on the Airpod App on my phone--disappeared and I literally heard it go back to just plain non-hearing aid status...never to return again. I found out the hard way that my GPS was used to block any access to be able to hear better.

To think that in Canada, a seemingly free country, we are unable to purchase something and have it work the way we want it to is blocked is a really, really bad realization. Think of all the lower income people who this would benefit and Health Canada is opting for the Hearing Aid companies (Big Hearing, like Big Pharma in the US) instead of it's citizens who are in need is sobering at the least.

Good work big Gordo, I have written a letter to health Canada, ignored, also contacted my conservative MP, who seems to be very concerned about this and assured me she will bring it up at Parliament, it is absolutely ridiculous that these are being deprived to Canadians

Yes. I arrived home in Alberta last week and the hearing aids are working perfectly. I was in California when 18.1.1 came out - I updated there and lo and behold the hearing aid capability was added. I am guessing that IF I update to the next software release in Canada I will lose the hearing aid capability?