FDA Approves Software to Turn Some AirPods Into Hearing Aids

Reasons people don’t like hearing aids

Comfort and cost have been major barriers. Traditional hearing aids can set you back several thousand dollars, Medicare doesn’t cover them, and people may be reluctant to go through a series of fittings with an audiologist.

And then comes the stigma: Wearing something in the ears gives off the vibe that the users are, well, old.

The concern is not unfounded. Nearly 1 in 5 of adults older than 40 think society negatively judges people who use hearing aids, according to a 2023 AARP report on social stigma and health conditions. Ironically, AirPods and rival earbuds from competitors that include Bose, Google, Samsung, Sony and Soundcore, mean more people are accustomed to seeing folks with stuff in their ears.

“Apple is a sexy brand and a known brand,” so that may reduce the stigma, Reed says.

Other companies sell, poised to sell devices to help hearing

Companies such as Eargo and Jabra Enhance sell nonprescription hearing aids designed to be mostly invisible inside the ears.

At the CES tech industry trade show in January, Italy and France’s EssilorLuxottica demonstrated prototypes of ordinary-looking eyeglasses that amplify sound through microphones in the frame and deliver that sound to the wearer through tiny speakers. The company says these Nuance Audio glasses, as they’re branded, are on track to debut by the end of 2024. These also will require the FDA’s blessing.

While Apple designs pretty much everything in-house, other familiar tech brands in the OTC market have teamed up with traditional hearing aid companies. Sony partnered with Danish hearing loss company WS Audiology, and Sennheiser’s consumer division was bought by Sonova, whose other hearing aid brands include Phonak. Bose powers Lexie hearing aids.

OTC hearing aids haven’t lived up to expectations

OTC hearing aids haven’t delivered as much as hoped to people with mild to moderate hearing loss in the nearly two years since the FDA approved the first of them. Lots of companies make OTC hearing aids, with varying quality, some with little customer support.

“I think there’s a lot of confusion, especially at the consumer level,” says audiology consultant Thomas Powers, who founded Powers Consulting in Oxford, New Jersey. Powers told AARP he’s hearing about return rates in the OTC space of 35 to 50 percent.

To keep that from happening to you, hearing professionals recommend:

• Reading reviews from reputable outlets before deciding on a model.
• Finding out the return policies and what customer service you can expect.
• Being patient in the first weeks as you get used to wearing the new hearing aids.

How Apple says it will protect its AirPod wearers

Apple says features within its iPhone and earbuds will protect AirPods Pro 2 wearers. Through a hearing protection feature turned on by default, the tips on the earbuds help provide “passive” noise reduction, and an Apple-designed chip in the earbuds reduces louder, intermittent noises at 48,000 times per second.

The company also is adding what it says is a clinically validated hearing test you would take on an iPhone or iPad while wearing the AirPods Pro 2. You’re asked to tap the phone screen when you hear a series of tones at different volumes and frequencies.

The test, which Apple says takes about five minutes, was based on data from the Apple Hearing Study. Results, which include recommendations and an audiogram, will be securely stored in the Health app on the iPhone, though you’ll be able to share them with a health care provider.

Apple says your hearing profile can help customize the listening experience on the AirPods Pro 2.

Several hearing aid manufacturers offer online hearing tests, and Medicare also covers exams to diagnose hearing problems. AARP members can take a hearing test for free at the National Hearing Test website, developed in conjunction with the NIH.