- The Hearing Test, Hearing Aids, and Hearing Protection features are only available on the 2nd-generation AirPods Pro, both USB-C and Lightning versions.
- With iOS 18.2, Apple expands AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Test to Cyprus, Czechia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, UAE, and the UK.
- To use hearing health features on AirPods Pro 2, you must install iOS 18.1 on your iPhone or iPadOS 18.1 or later on your iPad.
With iOS 18.1, Apple introduced the hearing aid capabilities for AirPods Pro 2nd-generation. This incredible addition allows you to run a hearing test on your iPhones, similar to the clinical hearing test performed by audiologists. Then, you can adjust the settings and turn your own AirPods into hearing aids. At the launch, this feature was available in the US and select other countries. With the iOS 18.2 coming to the public in the next few days, Apple is expanding the hearing test feature to nine more countries.
AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Test Availability
Apple confirmed the expansion of the Hearing Test in the release notes for iOS 18.2 Release Candidate (RC), which was rolled out to developers and public beta testers on December 5, 2024. According to the release notes, the AirPods Pro 2 hearing test is coming to nine more countries, which are:
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- France
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Romania
- Spain
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
These 9 countries join the list of countries and regions where the AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Test is already available.
With iOS 18.2, Apple is also enabling the AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aids feature in the United Arab Emirates.
AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Test
AirPods Pro 2 users can take a hearing test right on their iPhones. It’s a five-minute test that allows users to identify if they have hearing loss. The test will play different frequencies of sound to which users can respond. After the test, you’ll get the results showing a hearing loss classification and recommended next steps. With this Hearing Test, you fine-tune the sound and turn AirPods 2 into hearing aids so you can hear sounds and voices more clearly.
Apple also offers Hearing Protection on AirPods Pro 2, which actively monitors the user’s surroundings and automatically reduces the impact of loud noises, such as traffic or concerts. At the moment, this feature is exclusive to the United States and Canada.
Hearing Test Compatibility
It’s worth knowing that Hearing Test and other features are only available on the 2nd-generation AirPods Pro, both USB-C and Lightning versions. Also, the hearing health features on AirPods Pro 2 require firmware version 7B19 or newer, paired with an iPhone running iOS 18.1 or iPad running iPadOS 18.1 or newer.
It’s worth knowing that your AirPods are updated automatically when they are charging and in Bluetooth range of the paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac connected to Wi-Fi. If you don’t know the firmware version, here’s how to check and update AirPods firmware.
Apple released the final iOS 18.2 beta version on Thursday, and the public version should arrive by next week.
