Hearing Aid features for AirPods Pro 2 rolling out today, Tim Cook confirms

Apple has just started rolling out new hearing-focused features for AirPods Pro 2, and Tim Cook couldn’t be more excited. “Hearing is a vital part of our health,” he said in today’s announcement. “Our new end-to-end hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2 lets people improve, protect, and better understand their hearing. We’re thrilled these new features are launching today and will have a real impact on people’s lives.”
So, what’s in this update? For starters, AirPods Pro 2 now come with a built-in Hearing Test that’s quick and easy to use right from your iPhone or iPad. It’s designed to give users a personal hearing profile using a trusted clinical method, meaning it’s not just a quick check-up. The results are saved in Apple’s Health app, and you can share them with your doctor too, making it more than just a feature – it’s a real health tool.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Apple has added a Hearing Aid mode to the AirPods Pro 2. This lets people with mild to moderate hearing loss use their AirPods as personalised hearing aids. After taking the Hearing Test, the AirPods adjust automatically to boost the sounds around you – so conversations or background sounds are clearer. This feature isn’t just for calls either; it’ll work across any audio you listen to, like music, videos, and games, with adjustments you can set up through an audiologist if needed.
Another cool feature is Loud Sound Reduction, which helps cut out sudden, loud noises you’d rather avoid. Say you’re on a busy street or in a loud environment – the AirPods are smart enough to filter out unexpected blasts of sound. This feature runs in the background when you’re using Transparency or Adaptive Audio modes, so you don’t have to do anything to activate it.
For music lovers and those who make a lot of calls, Apple has also added Media Assist, which can boost parts of speech during a call or highlight certain instruments in a song. This can be especially handy if you want to catch every word or enjoy the details in your music.
Apple’s privacy promise is still here, too. All the hearing data stays secure on your device, and Apple’s Private Cloud Compute handles any processing while keeping your info safe. These new hearing tools are already available worldwide in over 100 regions, and Apple is planning more updates for later in the year. With these features, Apple is taking a big step in making hearing support both accessible and easy to use right from the devices you already carry.