Skip to main content

An iOS 12 update will allow Apple’s AirPods to be used as hearing aids

Apple touted a massive number of updates at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote this week, but one AirPod-centered feature was left out of the presentation.

The company’s industry-leading fully wireless headphones will be getting a small but interesting software update, one that allows them to act like a low-budget set of hearing aids, when the new iOS 12 mobile platform rolls out across Apple devices.

Recommended Videos

The new feature, called Live Listen, was previously reserved for hearing aids that were certified through the company’s Made for iPhone hearing aid program, and allows the microphone on a smartphone to be used as a directional microphone. If one is in a noisy environment like a restaurant, bar, or party, they can simply place their iPhone close to the person who is speaking, and use their AirPods as hearing aids.

The feature will be accessible via the settings menu on the iPhone, and may come in handy for those with minor hearing issues — we imagine that those with more serious hearing impairment will still probably want more robust, medical-grade solutions to their hearing issues.

The addition of any new accessibility options for hearing impaired iPhone owners is a welcome one, and the company should be applauded for adding the tech to iOS 12, even if it does have a rather specific use case. It also gives people with limited hearing one more reason to consider the AirPods over other competitors.

Numerous fully wireless headphone manufacturers have seen accessibility for hearing-impaired listeners as an important part of the market, with products like the Nuheara IQbuds being made almost specifically with that type of buyer in mind. As augmented reality products continue to become more mainstream in the coming years, it’s likely that more fully wireless earbuds will include this technology standard, and, frankly, we hope to see more moves like Apple’s in the future.

The new version of iOS is currently available to app developers, but will be rolled out to the public in the form of a free update this fall. Live Listen is currently not available in beta versions of iOS 12, but may be added in a coming beta.

Parker Hall
Former Senior Writer, Home Theater/Music
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
WWDC 2025 date confirmed as we wait for iOS 19, macOS 16, watchOS 12 and more
Apple WWDC 2025 logo

Apple has confirmed the date for its annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025), where executives from the Cupertino, California-based firm will reveal the next generation of its various software platforms.

WWDC 2025 will take place between June 9 and June 13, with the keynote presentation (which Apple is teasing as a "special event") set to happen on the first day of the conference. Apple has also confirmed that this year's WWDC event will be entirely online and all developers can join for free.

Read more
Apple AirPods Max finally get lossless audio and analog support
Apple AirPods Max with USB-C in Orange.

Apple is about to correct one of the most glaring omissions on its AirPods Max wireless noise-canceling headphones: Starting in April, the headphones will get a firmware update that enables lossless audio via the included USB-C cable at up to 24-bit/48kHz. As a wired connection, this also gives the headphones an ultra low-latency audio pathway, which is helpful for gaming.

And starting today, Apple is selling a $39 3.5mm-to-USB-C accessory cable that lets the newest version of the AirPods Max connect to analog audio sources like airplane jacks -- something these headphones haven't been able to do since they launched. The new cable is also compatible with the USB-C jack on the Beats Studio Pro.

Read more
Apple might arm AirPods with live translation facility this year
Simon Cohen wearing Apple AirPods 4.

Apple has lately focused on giving the AirPods more of a wellness-focused makeover than hawking them as plain wireless earbuds. Late last year, the AirPods Pro 2 landed a Loud Sound Reduction feature, alongside a hearing test system and hearing aid facility.
Now, the company is reportedly eyeing a conversational upgrade for them. According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to bring a real-time translation facility to the AirPods later this year. The focus is on removing the language barrier for in-person conversations.
The feature is said to be in active development and might be rolled out via a software update later this year, tied to the iOS 19 bundle. It’s going to be a two-way translation system where the AirPods and iPhone play an equal role.

How it works?

Read more