The AirPods Pro 2 will soon double as hearing aids

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Apple has announced a number of hearing health updates to the AirPods Pro 2, including a new hearing aid feature “for clinical use.” The iPhone maker says the hearing aid feature is still awaiting FDA approval, but expects approval from the agency along with other regulators “soon.”

When enabled, the hearing aid feature amplifies certain sounds, such as speech and other ambient noise, in real time. This update also includes a new clinically validated hearing test feature that can help detect hearing loss. According to Apple, the test requires both AirPods Pro and a connected iPhone and can be completed in less than five minutes.

Here are all the new hearing health features coming to AirPods Pro 2 this fall.
Image: Apple

The test asks users to listen to sounds at different frequencies and then tap their iPhone screen accordingly. The results can be viewed in the iPhone Health app and create a customized hearing profile that is then automatically applied when users listen to audio such as music, podcasts, and calls.

Apple is also introducing a passive hearing protection mode that automatically reduces noise in loud environments such as concerts. The feature is always on, with Apple pointing out that one in three people are regularly exposed to loud environments that can damage their hearing.

The new hearing aid and hearing testing features on AirPods Pro 2 are expected to launch in over 100 countries and regions this fall and will be released as a free software update.

In development… check out our Live blog for the latest details.

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