As we’ve discussed before, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 offer surprising potential as basic hearing aids for many users, and here’s how you can set them up.
If you have these earbuds and want to use them for everyday hearing assistance, you might be amazed by their capabilities when configured correctly.
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With Apple’s built-in hearing assistance features, these popular earbuds can amplify sounds, truly enhance speech clarity, and adjust audio precisely to match your unique hearing profile, all without needing any third-party applications.
Here’s your step-by-step guide to transform your AirPods Pro 2 into functional hearing assistance devices to better support your hearing health.
Start with Updates for Optimal Functionality
To access Hearing Aid Mode and other critical hearing features, your iPhone must be running iOS 18.1 or later.
Additionally, your AirPods Pro 2 must be the USB-C version with firmware 7B19 or later. Ensuring these updates are in place is the first crucial step to unlock their full potential.
To update your iPhone, simply:
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 18.1 or higher.
To check your AirPods firmware, follow these steps:
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone.
- Open Settings, tap the AirPods’ name, and scroll to the About section to see the firmware version.
- If your firmware is outdated, keep your AirPods in their case, plugged in, and near your iPhone connected to Wi-Fi for a few hours.
This usually triggers the automatic update process.
Take the Built-In Hearing Test
Apple includes a self-guided hearing test right within iOS that measures your hearing sensitivity across different frequencies and adjusts your AirPods accordingly.
This personalized approach helps tailor the sound specifically for your hearing needs.
Here’s how to take it:
- Connect and insert your AirPods Pro 2.
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the (i) next to your AirPods, then scroll to Hearing Health and select Take Hearing Test.
- Follow the prompts carefully in a quiet room for the most accurate results.
You also have the option to upload your professional audiogram, if you’ve already had one:
- Open the Health app > Browse > Hearing > Audiograms.
- Tap Add Audiogram Data, then you can either upload a photo of your audiogram or manually enter your hearing thresholds. This can provide even more precise adjustments.
Activate Hearing Aid Mode
Once your hearing data is loaded and ready, activating Hearing Aid Mode is straightforward:
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the (i) icon next to your AirPods.
- Scroll down to Hearing Assistance and toggle on Hearing Aid Mode.
- Choose Use Hearing Test Results to apply custom amplification settings based on your personal hearing profile.
This critical step will automatically boost the specific frequencies where your hearing test indicates you need the most support, significantly improving clarity for speech and ambient environmental sounds.
Customize the Sound for Clarity
Now that Hearing Aid Mode is active, it’s time to fine-tune your listening experience to perfectly match your preferences and environments:
- Adjust Amplification to subtly increase or decrease the overall volume.
- Use Tonal Balance to shift the sound. A brighter setting enhances sharper speech, while a darker setting provides a fuller, richer tone.
- Turn on Noise Reduction to actively minimize bothersome background distractions in noisy environments.
- Enable Conversation Boost to intelligently focus on voices directly in front of you, making one-on-one conversations much clearer.
These detailed adjustments are particularly ideal if you often struggle to hear conversations clearly in challenging, noisy spaces, helping you feel more engaged.
Apply Settings to Media and Calls
Your newly customized hearing profile isn’t just for live conversations; it can also be used while watching videos, listening to music, or taking phone calls, ensuring consistent hearing support across all your audio experiences.
To enable this:
- Go to Hearing Assistance > Media Assist.
- Toggle it on for Phone Calls, Music, and Videos.
This ensures all audio, not just direct conversations, is adjusted to match your individual hearing needs, providing a more cohesive and comfortable listening experience.
Use Control Center for Quick Access
To make managing your AirPods‘ hearing assistance settings even more convenient, you can add quick access to your Control Center.
This avoids the need to dive into the main Settings app every time you want to make a quick adjustment.
Here’s how to add it:
- Swipe down from the top-right of your screen to open Control Center.
- Tap the Ear icon (this is the Hearing Control) to adjust volume, transparency mode, or your hearing aid settings in real time. It’s a handy shortcut for on-the-go adjustments.
Is This Setup Right for You?
Using AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids is a genuinely helpful option for people with mild to moderate hearing loss who want occasional hearing support.
Whether it’s for watching TV, attending a meeting, or simply having a clearer phone conversation, they offer significant benefits.
However, it’s important to be aware of some drawbacks:
- Battery life is shorter than traditional hearing aids, typically around 6 hours.
- Their appearance can sometimes cause confusion in social settings, as AirPods often signal “not listening.”
- The lack of professional programming means the adjustments aren’t as precise or as medically tailored as what you’d get from a specialized hearing care professional.
For daily, continuous, or long-term use, especially if you have tinnitus or more significant hearing loss, professionally fitted and programmed hearing aids remain the gold standard.
They offer a level of customization, battery life, and discreet design that consumer devices can’t yet match.
At Treble Health, we specialize in tinnitus care and comprehensive hearing solutions.
If you want expert help selecting the right hearing aid or hearing support device, we offer free consultations.
Our experienced audiologists can help you decide whether starting with AirPods is a good first step or if moving directly to a more advanced, clinically appropriate option would better suit your unique hearing needs.
Ready to improve your hearing and find the solution that truly fits your lifestyle?
Watch a step-by-step demonstration video about this topic to have a clear overview. Click to watch now
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