Apple’s AirPods 2 Pro hearing health features are expanding to users in Australia, Brazil, Colombia and Saudi Arabia.
The company said in a press release (via MacRumors) on Tuesday that it will allow AirPods Pro 2 users in the aforementioned countries to take a hearing test, use the clinical hearing aid feature and Loud Sound Reduction in the iOS 18.4 update. The hearing health features have already launched in Australia, and they will be available in the last three countries soon after. Nicky Chong-White, principal engineer at National Acoustic Laboratories in Australia, welcomes the expansion of the hearing health features to the region.
“Hearing loss can impact more than a person’s hearing. It can impact their communication at work, their social life, and their overall wellbeing,” Chong-White said. “The new hearing features in AirPods Pro are an exciting advancement — they give people a way to check their hearing and set up hearing assistance at home using familiar devices.”
Apple introduced the hearing health features to AirPods Pro 2 in October 2024, after it noticed that the popular earbuds have been used as over-the-counter hearing aids. We tested the hearing test on the AirPods Pro 2, and the audiogram results generated at home are just as accurate as the results from hearing tests taken at the doctor’s office, provided the hearing test is taken in a quiet room.
To refresh your memory, if the hearing test detects mild to moderate hearing loss, AirPods Pro 2 users can switch on the hearing aid to enhance their sound intake. However, the hearing aid feature isn’t available for those whose tests found no hearing loss or determined that their hearing loss is too severe. Loud Sound Reduction can be used in conjunction with the hearing aid to reduce loud noises at 48,000 times per second, which is useful in loud environments like concerts or parties.
