Hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro now available in PH
Your earbuds may now do more than just play music or answer calls! Apple users in the Philippines who have trouble hearing may now take advantage of the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro, which allows the wireless earbuds to help users better hear conversations and other audio in their environment.
Apple’s hearing test and hearing aid features require AirPods Pro 2 or 3 running the latest firmware, paired with an iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.
It is also supported on a compatible Mac with macOS Sequoia and later.
Intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, the hearing aid feature has been clinically graded and uses its built-in microphones along with software to modify and boost sounds depending on the user’s hearing requirements.
To use the feature, first take the hearing test. Make sure to find a quiet, comfortable place and launch the test from your Airpods setting of the Health app.
The system will automatically check the fit of your AirPods Pro and assess background noise levels before getting started. To ensure a successful session, Apple suggests moving to a more secluded space or waiting for a quieter time of day.
The test will then play a series of tones that you respond to by tapping the screen. There will be animations, tap‑back effects, and progress indicators to guide you through the experience, which takes about five minutes.
After you've finished, you will then receive a personalized profile with easy‑to‑understand results and insights about your hearing. If you think that the results may have gotten your condition wrong, you can retake the test whenever you want.
If you have little to no loss but would still want to take advantage of the feature to hear certain frequencies more clearly, you’ll be able to adjust your Media Assist settings for enhanced audio on media and calls.
For those who were found to have mild to moderate hearing loss, you’ll be prompted to set up the hearing aid feature by pairing and connecting your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad
After this is done, go to your settings and tap the "Hearing Assistance" option, where you'll be able to toggle your hearing aid feature on.
For the best experience, Apple advises making small changes to the control center, such as amplification level, left-right balance, and tone while you adjust.
Need to hear better in a crowd? "Conversation Boost" automatically locks onto the person in front of you, making one-on-one chats much easier to follow.
The AirPods Pro 3 is priced at P14,990. Apart from the hearing aid feature, the device also has a "Live Translation" option that lets you easily communicate with people speaking a different language hands-free.