Apple has enabled a new feature that allows you to use your Airpods Pro 2, or later models, as hearing aids.
They’ve made some of the functions unnecessarily confusing. Below I’ve outlined steps for some various tasks that you may be struggling with.
Also, here are some Apple links that may help but I find that Apple instructions can be a little confusing at times.
If you don’t have Airpods Pro 2, they are cheaper from Amazon than from Apple direct. You can get them (currently for $189) here.
Links To Below Sections
- Update your Airpod firmware
- Take a hearing test
- Switch between test results
- Delete a test result
- Thoughts & feedback for Apple
- Alternatives to Airpods for hearing aids
Update Your AirPods Pro Firmware
You need to make sure your Airpods have the latest firmware to enable this feature.
- Put your Airpods inside the case and close the lid.
- Keep the lid closed for about 30 seconds, then take out the Airpods and insert them into your ears. Keep them in your ears for about 20 seconds.
- Put the Airpods back in the case and close the lid.
- Charge the case via cable or a MagSafe charger.
- Keep your iPhone near the case for about 10-15 minutes.
- After 10-15 minutes, open the Airpods case lid and on your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the “i” to the right of your Airpods’ name. The Airpods should have been updated to the most recent version.
Take A Hearing Test With Your iPhone Or iPad
Before you begin, make sure you’re in a quiet room. One good place is in a bedroom closet. The clothes will provide some sound insulation and it’s probably the quietest place in the house. The test takes about 5 minutes.
Wear your AirPods Pro 2, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen, tap Take a Hearing Test, then follow the onscreen instructions.
Switch Between Hearing Test Results
If you have more than one test result saved in your phone, you can switch to a different one like this. It’s unnecessarily lengthy but pretty easy. Apple just makes you step through a bunch of pages that explains the feature as if you’re enabling it for the first time.
- On you iPhone, open Settings
- Toward the top, tap on your headphone name
- Tap on Hearing Assistance
- Tap on Update Hearing Test Results
- You’ll see, “Chose a Hearing Test Result”. You’ll see your test results listed. Just tap on the test result that you’d like to apply.
- Tap on Next
- Tap on Set Up Hearing Aid
- Tap on Get Started
- Tap on Next
- Tap Turn On Hearing Aid
- Tap on Done
Delete An Audiogram / Test Result
- Open Health App
- tap Browse
- tap Hearing
- tap Hearing Test Results
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Show All Data
- tap Edit
- Tap the delete icon for the Audiogram you want to delete.
Thoughts – Feedback For Apple
I would like a way to duplicate an existing hearing audiogram and then would like to easily make adjustments to it. The process to manually enter a new audiogram is quite time consuming, and I assume the logic is, “your hearing loss is your hearing loss”, and it’s not really subjective. I know that it’s not supposed to work like an stereo graphic equalizer but if I test for one tone at 38 db, I may want to tune it down a tad to 35, as an example.
Some higher tones can create some loud popping, for certain hearing abilities, and I may prefer to roll those off just a touch. There is a Tone slider to make the Airpods sound darker or brighter but I don’t know how this is changing the audiogram or equalization. More visuals explaining what this is doing would be nice too.
Alternatives to Airpods
Now that over-the-counter hearing aids are allowed, there are more coming out in the market. Dedicated hearing aids will work better than Airpods because they have dedicated circuitry, and have a much longer battery life.
