The New AirPods Double as FDA-Approved Hearing Aids

Key Takeaways

• The FDA has approved the new AirPods Pro 2 earbuds as hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.
• AirPod users will need to update their device's operating system to get the Hearing Aid Feature, which will be available in the coming weeks.
• The earbuds don't look like hearing aids, which could make them appealing to people searching for an inconspicuous way to address their hearing loss.

Some people with hearing loss may soon be able to use the new Apple AirPods Pro 2 earbuds as over-the-counter hearing aids.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Apple's "Hearing Aid Feature" software, which can amplify sound for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.

The software, which will be available in the coming weeks, works with AirPods Pro 2 earbuds that are paired via bluetooth with a compatible iPhone or iPad.

"Hearing loss is a significant public health issue impacting millions of Americans," Michelle Tarver, MD, PhD, acting director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an FDA statement. "Authorization of an over-the-counter hearing aid software on a widely used consumer audio product is another step that advances the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss."

More than 30 million American adults report some degree of hearing loss, according to the FDA. It's most often caused by factors such as aging, exposure to loud noises, or certain medical conditions.

Left untreated, hearing loss can contribute to challenges with communication, relationships, mental health, and the ability to perform well at school or work. Hearing aid use has been linked to a reduced risk of developing or experiencing severe symptoms from a variety of medical conditions that can be exacerbated by poor hearing, such as depression and cognitive decline .

Most Americans With Hearing Loss Don't Use Hearing Aids

Less than one-third of Americans with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids actually get these devices - a statistic that AirPods may change, says Jennifer Derebery, MD , an otologist and chief research officer at the House Institute Foundation in Los Angeles, a nonprofit focused on hearing research and education.

"I think it's a very positive thing," Dr. Derebery says. "Apple AirPods are ubiquitous and aren't thought of as hearing aids, so anyone using them to treat hearing loss would be indistinguishable from anyone else who uses them for recreation."

Stigma can prevent some people from using hearing aids. But they may be willing to use AirPods for mild to moderate hearing loss since the earbuds don't look like a hearing aid, Derebery says.

AirPods may be both more convenient and more affordable, Derebery notes. For one thing, many people may already be familiar with the bluetooth technology used to pair AirPods to an iPhone or iPad. AirPods Pro 2 retail for $249 - far less than the $2,000 to $4,000 price tag for prescription hearing aids, Derebery also says.

AirPods aren't a fix for everyone, however. Individuals with more severe hearing loss won't get enough sound amplification from the earbuds, Derebery says. People who can't hear well once they try using AirPods as hearing aids should get their hearing evaluated by a medical professional and see if they would benefit from prescription hearing aids, she adds.

How to Determine if You Have Hearing Loss

It can be difficult for people to tell how severe their hearing loss is. As a new diagnostic tool, Apple is introducing a do-it-yourself Hearing Test in the coming weeks for use with the AirPods Pro 2 and an iPhone or iPad.

But Derebery says there are warning signs that you need to see a doctor or an audiologist to get your hearing checked out.

These include:

• Hearing in one ear is significantly worse than the other
• Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, is much louder in one ear than the other
• Frequent ear infections or chronic ear drainage
• Hearing gets progressively worse
• Hearing ability varies in the same listening situation

"There is a concern that when a patient self-treats, serious symptoms like these may not be brought to a specialist's attention," Derebery says.

AirPods Have a Shorter Battery Life Compared With Prescription Hearing Aids

Two other downsides are also worth considering when you use AirPods as hearing aids, Derebery adds. One is that these earbuds typically aren't as comfortable for all-day wear as properly fitted prescription hearing aids. The other is that AirPods tend to have a battery life of six hours or so, compared with 3 to 20 days of battery life for hearing aids, Derebery says.

But none of these problems are so big that people should be dissuaded from giving AirPods a try, Derebery says.

"People of all ages wear AirPods, so the benefit of wearing them as hearing aids is that it doesn't automatically scream out ‘I'm old and can't hear,' which is the excuse I hear most frequently as to why an individual who needs hearing aids won't get them," Derebery says. "The AirPods Pro use will be a large step in the direction of making hearing aids or getting help for hearing loss less stigmatized."

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Sources

1. FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software. U.S. Food and Drug Administration . September 12, 2024.
2. Hearing. Apple .

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Lisa Rapaport

Author

Lisa Rapaport is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience on the health beat as a writer and editor. She holds a master's degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and spent a year as a Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan. Her work has appeared in dozens of local and national media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, WNYC, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times , Scientific American , San Jose Mercury News , Oakland Tribune , Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, The Sacramento Bee , and The Buffalo News . See full bio See Our Editorial Policy Meet Our Health Expert Network