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.

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Parker Hall
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
FaceTime with spatial audio is nothing short of magic
A woman wears AirPods Pro while looking at her iPhone on public transportation.

The use of “magic” to describe tech is overblown, especially when it comes to Apple’s products. But hear me out on this one.

As someone who spends some of every day playing with new tech products, I’m frequently impressed by what I see. However, moments of genuine delight -- those times when I suddenly find myself smiling at something that just happened -- are rare. Still, I had one of those moments this weekend, and I want you to experience it, too.

Read more
A Canadian grocery store is selling second-gen AirPods for just $89
Apple AirPods second generation with charging case on a wooden desk.

Canada, the home of hockey, doughnuts, and free health care, is now one of the best places to buy the second-gen Apple AirPods. In an unusual move, No Frills -- a grocery chain owned by Canadian food retail giant George Weston Limited -- is selling the super-popular wireless earbuds for as low as $119 Canadian, which approximately converts to $89 U.S., according to Canadian tech site Mobile Syrup, making this by far the best price you'll find right now.

It's not unusual to see smaller brands like Skullcandy or Panasonic selling budget-friendly earbuds at the ends of grocery store aisles, but it's less common to see Apple do it, and even rarer to see the company's products so deeply discounted. The regular (and current) price on Apple.com, as well as Amazon and Best Buy, is $119 U.S. for the second-gen AirPods with a Lightning-only charging case.

Read more
Can you use AirPods Pro without eartips? The answer may surprise you
Apple AirPods Pro 2 seen with ear tip removed.

Apple sells three versions of its super-popular wireless earbuds: The original AirPods, now in their second generation (thus AirPods 2), the third-gen version of the AirPods (which we’ve opted to call the AirPods 3), and the second-gen AirPods Pro (or AirPods Pro 2 for greater clarity). While there are a lot of differences between these models, people invariably notice the physical differences most of all, specifically the presence of silicone eartips on the AirPods Pro 2, and their absence on the AirPods 2 and 3. And that eventually leads to the question, can you use the AirPods Pro without those eartips, and if you did, what would happen?

Before I answer that, let’s quickly review why the AirPods Pro have eartips in the first place. The main purpose of eartips on any set of wireless earbuds is to create a seal around the entrance to your ear canal. This has several benefits:

Read more