Are AirPods an Affordable Alternative to Traditional Hearing Aids?
You've probably owned a pair of AirPods for years without ever thinking of them as medical equipment. Apple's AirPods Pro now doubles as an FDA authorized hearing aid, and the same earbuds sometimes blamed for damaging young ears can screen for and treat mild to moderate hearing loss too. It's a genuinely surprising shift, and it's already changing how people approach getting help. Here's what readers are asking about the AirPods hearing aid feature in 2026.
Can AirPods Pro Really Work as a Hearing Aid?
Yes. The FDA authorized the Hearing Aid Feature on September 12, 2024, making it the first over the counter hearing aid software ever cleared through the agency's de novo pathway for novel, low to moderate risk devices.
The clearance was based on a 118 person clinical trial registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as Apple's Smartphone Enabled Hearing Study. Self fitted AirPods matched professionally fitted results with no device related adverse events, along with comparable speech in noise performance and amplification accuracy.
A separate peer reviewed study in the Yonsei Medical Journal tested the earbuds' headphone accommodation feature on 35 adults with mild to moderate hearing loss and found it performed on par with a validated personal sound amplification product, improving word recognition and speech understanding in noise.
Which AirPods Models Have the Hearing Aid Feature?
The FDA authorization applies to AirPods Pro 2 and the newer AirPods Pro 3, according to Apple's hearing health page, which calls the setup the world's first end to end hearing health experience built into consumer earbuds.
Older models, including the original AirPods Pro, are not covered and cannot run the Hearing Test or Hearing Aid feature. Users also need a compatible iPhone to complete the at home test and store the resulting hearing profile.
Apple is no longer alone here. Sony, Jabra and Bose, through its Lexie partnership, have all since brought their own FDA cleared over the counter hearing aids to market, part of a wider shift Consumer Reports has tracked as more traditional audio brands enter the hearing space.
How Much Does the AirPods Hearing Aid Feature Cost Compared to Prescription Hearing Aids?
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 both retail for $249, undercutting most prescription hearing aids by a wide margin. Prescription devices commonly run well into the thousands per ear, meaning a single ear prescription fitting can cost several times what a pair of AirPods does.
That price gap matters because cost and stigma are the two most cited barriers to treatment. About 75 percent of adults with age related hearing loss go untreated, and the average person waits roughly nine years between first noticing hearing loss and doing something about it. Study authors have specifically flagged hearing loss as one of the most easily modifiable dementia risk factors, framing early amplification as a proactive health decision rather than a cosmetic one.
How Does the AirPods Hearing Test Work at Home?
Anyone with a compatible AirPods Pro model and iPhone can run the built in hearing test in about five minutes and receive a stored, shareable hearing profile without going to a clinic. The test plays tones at varying volumes and frequencies while the earbuds seal the ear canal, then generates a personalized result.
If the test detects mild to moderate hearing loss, the Hearing Aid feature can use that profile to amplify conversations and environmental sounds in real time. Results are saved in the iPhone's Health app and can be shared with an audiologist or physician.
For readers already dealing with over the counter hearing aids as a low cost, low commitment way to test the waters before deciding whether a dedicated device is worth the investment.
Can AirPods Replace a Visit to an Audiologist?
No. The FDA clearance covers self fitted use for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, not severe or profound loss and not pediatric cases. Anyone whose hearing loss falls outside that range still needs a professional evaluation and, likely, a prescription device.
The authorization is also specific to AirPods Pro 2 and Pro 3. Users of older models will not get the same clinical grade performance, even if audio settings are adjusted manually. What the feature does well is close a treatment gap for the large share of adults with hearing loss who currently go without any device. It gives them a way to confirm a suspicion, try amplification and share results with a clinician before committing to the cost and appointments a traditional hearing aid path requires.
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This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 11:38 AM.