Yes, you can set up Airpods pro as hearing aids. Let me explain to you how I did it.
To get things rolling, I took a hearing test through the Mimi Hearing Test app on my iPhone. Thankfully, it illustrated that my results were in the normal range; if you don’t have ideal hearing, however, your test results would indicate to which extent and across what pitch ranges this applies. From there you can then input these details directly into your phone!
When you open the Mimi Hearing Test app, simply follow its instructions to take your hearing test. All it takes is pressing and holding the phone button until you can no longer hear a beep sound in both ears before releasing it. After taking my hearing test, my results showed that my hearing was within the normal range – which means no sign of hearing loss on this exam!
Now you can save the test into the Health function of your iPhone. And if you open that Health function, you’ll have the option to go down to Hearing, where you can choose Audiogram Data.
If your Mimi Hearing Test results show that you have a degree of hearing loss, then you can plug it into the Health app under the Audiogram tab to access the AirPods hearing aid features.
Open up the Settings app, then press Accessibility. After that, you will open up AirPods, and you’ll see a screen that gives you the option to press Audio Accessibility.
Here you’ll turn Headphone Accommodations on. When Headphone Accommodations is on, that means that your AirPods Pro devices are going to be used as hearing aids.
Airpods Pro: Transparency Mode Hearing Aid
If you press the Audio Accessibility settings, and then Headphone Accommodations, you’ll see some options for how strong you want to set the amplification. You can also take a quick test within the Headphone Accommodations to set the levels for you, based on your preferences for volume of speech and volume of music.
Within Headphone Accommodations, you can choose slight amplification, moderate amplification or strong amplification. This means that you’ll be hearing more or less sound from your environment.
In the Transparency mode, you will hear audio streaming through the AirPods Pro, as well as hearing the sound in the environment, which would be an amplification function.
That’s the major upgrade with this system for hearing, that you can now hear environmental sounds louder. For someone who needs some hearing help, this is really important.
Airpods Hearing Aid App Functions
From the bottom screen, you can hold on to AirPods Pro to change between transparency and other modes, or you can turn transparency mode off. You can also activate the ear icon to get direct access for amplification.
With the ear icon, you can adjust the volume of the sounds in your environment while they’re coming in through your AirPods Pro. You can also make the tone brighter, which means it will provide more boost or amplification for the higher-pitch tones.
For most people with tinnitus, if they had a hearing loss it would be in the high-pitch tones. This is also called high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Most sound therapy that people find relaxing is also in the high-pitch tones.
Once all that setup was completed in the iPhone, I opened up Spotify, which I use to stream a lot of music, and searched for some different tinnitus sound therapy playlists.
I tested what it’s like to hear the sound therapy streaming straight to my AirPods Pro, as well as the environmental sounds through the transparency mode of the AirPods.
With amplification and transparency mode, the Airpods were set up pretty similarly to hearing aids. For someone who has hearing loss and needs sound therapy, they want the amplification of the environment because it will reduce the tinnitus perception.
This creates an atmosphere rich in sound, which is highly recommended in Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and Progressive Tinnitus Management – two of the most successful methods for treating tinnitus.
To adjust my listening experience, I can easily click the gear icon from the home screen and modify transparency mode: by switching it on to hear better in various environments or alternatively turning it off, which will minimize microphone feature reception coming from the hearing aids.
With my iPhone, I can control the amplification of sound and consequently better hear conversations or increase my perception of the environment. This is perfect for when someone’s speech isn’t as clear to me; it also helps with tinnitus-related issues. Ultimately, you’ll need to adjust this depending on your own needs.
I can adjust the amplification of the sound through my iPhone, and that means I’m going to hear more of the environment. So if I’m having trouble hearing someone, that would be really beneficial. Also, if I just want to increase my hearing of the environment, then that would help my tinnitus. Of course, you need to adjust this based on your own needs.
What To Do Next For Hearing Loss
At Treble Health, we know the importance of finding the right hearing aids to suit your ears and your lifestyle. We put together a consumer guide to help you find the best hearing aids on the market so you can live a full life without having to worry about hearing loss. Click here to get the free Hearing Aids in 2022: Consumer Guide.
Want to speak with an expert audiologist about hearing aids instead? At the tap of a finger, you can schedule a free Hear From Home™ telehealth consultation today! You’ll be connected with a real audiologist, not a salesperson, and there is no obligation or commitment.
