Apple AirPods can now be used as hearing aids in Australia
By Tim Biggs
Apple earbuds can now be used as clinical-grade hearing aids in Australia, as the tech giant has been granted regulatory approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) after first introducing the feature in the US last September.
Apple says the feature, which is classified in Australia as an over-the-counter hearing aid product, is grounded in science and was validated through rigorous scientific studies. It currently only works with the $400 AirPods Pro 2.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 can now work as a hearing aid in Australia.
From today, owners of those earbuds can use an iPhone or iPad to administer a hearing test, which is based on a clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry. It tests eight different frequencies, including the four that are most important for understanding speech, is validated for people aged 18 and above and can be taken by anyone regardless of whether they experience hearing loss.
After the test, users are given a full set of results and insights, which are held privately in the Health app. Results are in a standard format, so users should be able to take them to a doctor if needed. Conversely, if they already have audiologist results, they can scan an audiogram into their Apple device instead of taking the new test.
Where a person experiences mild to moderate hearing loss, they can activate the hearing aid mode, which uses the results of the test to boost certain frequencies. This works similarly to much more expensive hearing aids to amplify ambient sound, and also applies to any music or media being played over Bluetooth. The settings live on the AirPods, so they work no matter what device they are connected to, and users can control the amplification by swiping on the earbuds or using a new slider in the iPhone’s Control Centre.
The hearing aid feature only works effectively with an appropriately sized ear tip attached, creating a tight seal. The hearing test will indicate if a user doesn’t have the right tip applied, and AirPods Pro 2 come with a range of tips. Apple sells replacements if they get lost.
Hearing test and hearing aid join other hearing health features already on Apple devices.
The World Health Organisation estimates hearing loss affects about 1.5 billion people, and that in 2050 more than 700 million people globally will experience profound hearing loss. An Apple survey of users in the United States found 10 per cent of participants had been diagnosed with hearing loss by a professional, but that of these only a quarter were using any assistive support.
When the hearing health features were unveiled last year, Apple’s vice president of health Dr Sumbul Desai said hearing was an essential part of overall wellbeing and that hearing loss can contribute to several conditions, but that it was often overlooked.
“We’re thrilled to provide breakthrough software features with AirPods Pro that put users’ hearing health front and centre, bringing new ways to help test for and receive assistance for hearing loss,” she said at the time.
“We wanted to build something so intuitive, it felt like an extension of your senses. We knew the results would literally change people’s lives, and democratise access to treatment for a condition that affects more than a billion people.”
In addition to the hearing test and hearing-loss capabilities, AirPods Pro also have a “Hearing Protection” feature in North America designed to proactively defend against hearing loss by lowering ambient noise but still passing through the full range of audio, for use at concerts or sporting events for example. The feature does not currently have regulatory approval in Australia, but a similar feature called Loud Sound Reduction is available (with no health-related claims made) and is turned on by default.
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