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Apple has launched a free software upgrade that turns its AirPods Pro 2 devices into hearing aids in a move that is expected to increase access to hearing loss treatment.
The software gives users with mild to moderate hearing loss a new feature that boosts sounds around them in real time.
Apple’s rollout of the new capabilities for its AirPods Pro 2 in the UK comes after the Department of Health and Social Care published guidance in January recommending its use.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already approved Apple’s hearing aid technology in September 2024, becoming the first over-the-counter software of its kind for hearing loss.
The UK Government said the approval for the devices will make it “easier” and “more convenient” for patients to manage their own health. Apple offers a hearing test via the earphones that takes about five minutes to complete. If results indicate mild to moderate hearing loss, users can switch on the hearing aid function on the same earphones.
Algorithms from the test provide a personalised hearing profile that enhances sounds from the environment, as well as sounds emitted from the earphones themselves such as music or films.
One in three adults in the UK are either deaf or experience hearing loss or tinnitus - and this rises to more than 50% for those over 55. Around 53% of these patients use hearing aids, devices specifically developed to reduce the impact of hearing loss.
Apple is one of multiple companies implementing hearing loss technology into everyday devices. According to experts, placing hearing aid capabilities into already established and easily visible devices will reduce stigma and improve treatment access.
Apple’s health vice president Sumbul Desai said: “At Apple, we believe that technology can help people live healthier lives, and we’re delighted to bring the Hearing Aid feature to the UK, offering our users an end-to-end hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2.”
The UK Government’s decision to push new types of hearing aids is part of a push to speed patient access to treatment whilst keeping the country attractive for wearable device innovation.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Groundbreaking new hearing aid devices have the potential to help tens of thousands of people with hearing loss, helping them to live their life to the full. The action we’re taking will give businesses the green light to start selling these products to patients across the UK.”
The launch of hearing aid features in the UK comes at a time of high cybersecurity stakes between Apple and the region. The tech giant took the unprecedented step of removing its advanced data protection tool after demands from the UK government to access user data. At the time, Apple said it was “gravely disappointed” that customers in the UK would not have the security feature offered to them.