iOS 18.1: Take a Hearing Test With AirPods Pro 2

[Will Co]

This feature is not a proper hearing test and should be avoided entirely. Everyone should be getting their hearing properly tested with an audiologist, along with an ENT consultation, every year.

This is true. And you should also take a regular eye exam, and visit the dentist pretty regularly. While you're at it, get those blood pressure and blood sugar tests completed. And so on.

I think the point others are trying to make is that whilst this test does not do what an audiologist would do, it is still useful. Anyone who regular administers an ECG test will tell you that the reading taken by the Apple Watch is effectively the equivalent of a 1-lead ECG. Go to the hospital or get picked up by an ambulance and they'll be using a 6 or even 7 lead device to give a much more detailed and revealing result. But that doesn't mean that the Watch isn't useful. It can help with diagnosis. It's not a full diagnosis, but it can point people to go to the specialists. It can warn you, for example, that you *might* have AF.

Similarly, this hearing test can warn you that you *might* have a hearing issue that needs attention. And the related features *might* be able to sufficiently help you that you can get away without spending thousands on full HA devices, even if that's only for a while.

My point is that most people won't go to the doctor, dentist, etc, because it's generally a PITA or expensive or both. But this test is a few minutes long, and it's useful. It might even force you to go get that specialist check.

So, like the others have said, I firmly disagree with your point. This is a good thing an Apple should not stop adding medical features, no matter how lightweight they actually are.

 

[geez66]

As someone who has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of audiology, I would not trust this hearing test feature. In fact I wouldn't go near it with a 10 foot pole. Hearing loss is not a simple matter, there are different kinds of hearing loss with different causes and different prescriptions.

I started losing my hearing many years ago, which resulted in me being prescribed with high power Phonak hearing aids. My hearing continued to decline to the point where hearing aids no longer helped me. Today I use cochlear implants for profound sensorineural hearing loss and they work much better for me than hearing aids.

A proper diagnosis of hearing loss involves not only audio testing, but also includes a physical examination of the outer and middle ear as well as bone conduction testing. All of these tests need to be properly performed in a soundproof audiological room. And, with any other proper medical intervention, a personal face-to-face interview is required with a trained physician. And, everyone should be getting their hearing properly tested in a audiology setting/booth every year anyway.

Apple really needs to stop adding medical features to their products, there are too many variables that could produce too many false positives/negatives as well as the possibility of overlooking an underlying disease.

Your situation is specifically excluded from Apple’s approach here. They don’t profess to help people with severe hearing loss. They are aiming to help people with undiagnosed and/or mild loss.

I’m glad they are investing in these sorts of projects.

 

[Orange Bat]

My point is that most people won't go to the doctor, dentist, etc, because it's generally a PITA or expensive or both. But this test is a few minutes long, and it's useful. It might even force you to go get that specialist check.

So, like the others have said, I firmly disagree with your point. This is a good thing an Apple should not stop adding medical features, no matter how lightweight they actually are.

I think we’re on the verge of AI (machine learning) offering better diagnoses than front-line medical professionals, at least in a first look. Just Saturday I had a weird little issue with a clicking in my ears and did a Google search. The Gemini answer told me exactly what to do, and it worked. Now, of course, this anecdotal evidence and a very minor issue that doesn’t mean much on the surface. But it’s a window on the future and where this stuff is headed. Apple is interesting because it’s investing in both hardware and software for health at the consumer level.

Of course this doesn‘t mean one shouldn’t go to a doctor if they have serious hearing loss or a complex medical issue. But these technologies can make one aware of issues they didn’t know about, or, as in the case of AirPods, make life improvements for people who may not need $6,000 hearing aids. It’s pretty remarkable, IMO.

 

[CaptainBlue]

In the UK and I'm getting "server cannot be found"

 

[Iwavvns]

This is true. And you should also take a regular eye exam, and visit the dentist pretty regularly. While you're at it, get those blood pressure and blood sugar tests completed. And so on.

I think the point others are trying to make is that whilst this test does not do what an audiologist would do, it is still useful. Anyone who regular administers an ECG test will tell you that the reading taken by the Apple Watch is effectively the equivalent of a 1-lead ECG. Go to the hospital or get picked up by an ambulance and they'll be using a 6 or even 7 lead device to give a much more detailed and revealing result. But that doesn't mean that the Watch isn't useful. It can help with diagnosis. It's not a full diagnosis, but it can point people to go to the specialists. It can warn you, for example, that you *might* have AF.

Similarly, this hearing test can warn you that you *might* have a hearing issue that needs attention. And the related features *might* be able to sufficiently help you that you can get away without spending thousands on full HA devices, even if that's only for a while.

My point is that most people won't go to the doctor, dentist, etc, because it's generally a PITA or expensive or both. But this test is a few minutes long, and it's useful. It might even force you to go get that specialist check.

So, like the others have said, I firmly disagree with your point. This is a good thing an Apple should not stop adding medical features, no matter how lightweight they actually are.

With hearing loss, if you don't get it checked and medically treated that hearing loss can worsen over time. If the AirPods hearing test feature gives you a false positive then the hearing loss you have is going to worsen because it is not being treated, and it's not being treated because you were misinformed about the issue.

As I stated before, I use cochlear implants to treat my profound sensorineural hearing loss. if my hearing loss had been noticed and treated sooner then it could be that I would still be at moderate hearing loss today. Knowing what I know today I would never trust the AirPods hearing test feature.

I'm making such a fuss about this because I have spent years studying audiology. I cannot comment on the heart monitoring features of the Apple Watch because I have not studied cardiology.

 

[Night Spring]

I couldn't get the Apple hearing test to work on my 7th gen iPad. It just kept crashing every time I tried to start it.

I found this test on the App Store. It takes a different approach to how you indicate when you hear a tone. Instead of tapping the screen when you hear a tone, you move a slider up and down until you hear the tone. I found it left me feeling much more in control of the testing process, even though the test probably took longer than a more regular hearing test. The audiogram I got was pretty much the same as the last one I got done by a professional audiologist.

Only hitch was this app only saves the audiogram to the health app on the iPhone, not the iPad, so I had to retake the test on my iPhone.

‎SonicCloud Sound Check

‎Gain valuable insight into your hearing ability with this free, clinically validated hearing test. In 5 minutes, you’ll get insight into your hearing ability. Clinically Validated Hearing Assessment: Developed by a renowned Stanford audiologist and uses gold standard clinical methodologies for...

apps.apple.com

Now, I have a moderate to severe hearing loss, so my hearing is out of the range of what Apple's hearing aid function officially covers. I tried setting up the AirPods anyway. I was expecting there to be an option to select the audiogram already saved in the health app, but I didn't see any such option. So I entered the values I got from the hearing test app manually. That left me back at the hearing aid setup screen, with no messages, just the hearing aid option still greyed out. I wasn't expecting it to work, but I thought there would be some kind of message that my hearing was too severe for this function. But nada. ☹️

Has anyone with severe or profound hearing loss taken the Apple hearing test, and if so, did you get any kind of message explaining why the hearing aid function doesn't work?

I then kept entering the hearing loss values, decreasing the amount of loss until the hearing aid function did come online. The resulting hearing boost from the AirPods is obviously not as much as I would get from a hearing aid configured to my hearing, but I still get a significant hearing improvement. The effect is especially great when listening to music. The sound now feels contoured -- like I'm experiencing it in 3D, whereas before, I was only hearing it in 2D. Only drawback is now I can hear defects in less than ideal recordings, such as live concert recordings. 🙃

I should note that I've been dealing with this hearing loss all my life, and have worn hearing aids for decades, so I'm quite familiar with what kinds of sound modifications help my hearing, and which modifications I should avoid. If you are new to hearing aids, you shouldn't experiment like this, but consult a professional audiologist.

 

[CaptainBlue]

In the UK and I'm getting "server cannot be found"

The shortcut worked though.

 

[Night Spring]

I want to get my father the AP2, but he doesn't have any Apple hardware (i.e. iPhone). Can I have him take a hearing test using the AP2 with my iPhone? I’m worried that it might adjust my settings instead of just his AP2.

His hearing test results will get added to your health app, but you can delete it later -- someone posted how earlier in this thread.

You'll also need to pair the AirPods to your iPhone to start. After setting it up as a hearing aid for your dad, and once he's satisfied with the results, you can remove it from your iPhone. (Settings > Bluetooth > tap the (i) next to AirPods > Forget This Device) It will continue working as a hearing aid for your dad, but you wouldn't be able to make any further adjustments to its hearing settings.

This is why you need to see an audiologist to have a hearing aid custom prescribed for your level of hearing loss.. this is actually a medical prescription similar to eyeglasses. A prescribed hearing aid will adjust the volume of each frequency group rather than boosting all sound at the same volume.

Apple's hearing aid function does adjust volume for each frequency group.

 

[newbididewbidie]

Not in Canada? Strange

Canada is so wonderful that no one experiences hearing loss there.

 

[AndySummers]

I thought Canada was in the list of supported countries, apparently not?

I'm in Canada also. Nothing for me either. I must have misunderstood when it explained that Health Canada approval had been granted.

 

[PeterBloch]

If you're concerned about hearing loss and own AirPods Pro 2, Apple in iOS 18.1 offers a convenient new clinical-grade hearing test that's easy to use. Here's everything you need to know about checking your hearing health with this new feature.

Note that Apple's Hearing Test feature is not available in all regions, likely due to differing regulatory laws. Apple maintains a list on its website of regions and territories where the test is available. If your location isn't on the list, you can still take the test – see the last section of this article for details.

What You Need

• AirPods Pro 2 updated with the latest firmware
  
• iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 18.1 or later
  
• A quiet environment
  
• About 5 minutes of uninterrupted time

The Hearing Test requires that you listen for a comprehensive range of tones at different and sometimes very low volumes. For this reason, it's important to take the test in a quiet environment for the full duration of the test, free from intermittent noise, people talking, or loud air conditioning or fan systems nearby.

Taking the Hearing Test

Make sure your AirPods Pro 2 are sufficiently charged before taking the test.

1. Put your AirPods Pro 2 in your ears.
   
2. Open Settings on your iPhone.
   
3. Tap your AirPods Pro name at the top of Settings.
   
4. Under "Hearing Health," tap Take a Hearing Test.
   
   
   
   Answer the preliminary questions about your age and recent loud noise exposure.
   
5. Follow the fit test to ensure your ear tips create a proper seal.
   
6. When the test begins, tap the screen each time you hear a tone.
   
7. Complete the test for both ears (the test will automatically switch sides).
   
   

Understanding Your Results

The test measures your hearing in dBHL (decibel hearing level) and provides an easy-to-read classification:

• 
  Up to 25 dBHL: Little to no hearing loss - can hear normal conversation easily
  
• 26-40 dBHL: Mild hearing loss - can hear normal speech at close range
  
• 41-60 dBHL: Moderate hearing loss - requires raised voices to understand speech
  
• 61-80 dBHL: Severe hearing loss - can only hear very loud speech or shouting

Tap "Show Details" to see a frequency-by-frequency breakdown of your hearing ability. This graph shows how well you hear different pitches, from low (250 Hz) to high (8 kHz). This detailed view can help identify specific types of hearing loss and is the same format audiologists use, making it easy to share with healthcare providers.

You can access your test results anytime in the Health app. Tap Browse ➝ Hearing, then tap Hearing Test Results to view your history. To share your results with healthcare providers, tap Export PDF at the bottom, or tap the Share button to email or save the audiogram.

After the Test

The results of your test can be used to unlock additional AirPods Pro 2 features and options including Media Assist and Hearing Aid mode.

Media Assist

If mild to moderate hearing loss is detected, you can enable Media Assist to optimize audio for your hearing profile:

1. Go to Settings ➝ your AirPods Pro
   
2. Scroll down to Hearing Health
   
3. Tap Media Assist.
   
4. Toggle Media Assist on.
   
5. Choose Use Hearing Test Results to apply your recent test data, or Custom Setup to manually adjust settings.

Media Assist will then automatically adjust music, videos, and calls to enhance frequencies you have trouble hearing.

Hearing Aid Mode

Your AirPods Pro 2 can function as basic hearing aids, amplifying conversations and environmental sounds. You can enable this feature in the Settings app under Accessibility ➝ Hearing Devices.

Bear in mind that the Hearing Aid feature isn't available everywhere. Apple maintains a list of regions and territories in which the feature can be accessed.

Taking the Hearing Test in Unsupported Regions


As we mentioned at the top of this article, Apple's Hearing Test feature isn't available in all regions and territories at the time of writing this, but that doesn't mean you can't take the test.

Instead, you can use the following deep link to directly access the test in the Health app: x-apple-health://HearingAppPlugin.healthplugin/HearingTest – tap the link or paste it into Safari on your iPhone or iPad and you will be taken straight to the test (thanks to Reddit user Special_Lake240). Alternatively, download this Apple Hearing Test shortcut, grab your AirPods Pro 2, then run the shortcut on your device to take the test.

After taking the test using this method, your results will be available in the Health app. Just bear in mind that you won't be able to access Apple's other hearing health features like Media Assist and Hearing Test unless they are officially available in your region.

Article Link: iOS 18.1: Take a Hearing Test With AirPods Pro 2

I have moderate hearing loss and have audiograms to show the details. And I have the AirPods Pro 2, so Iwas curious to see how the test results from real doctors compared to the Apple test. I was fully prepared to get something approximately similar, but I was really surprised by now close the two tests came out. For me at least this system really works.

One note: I couldn't get the test to work until I turned on Transparency Mode. I am surprised this doesn't get talked about more, maybe just me.

As for the usability for the AirPods as hearing aids for me.... they do work. The sound is a bit raspy, and any crinkly sound is loud. But they do help me. Still working on the social acceptance part of wearing these in public settings, but getting there.

 

[Will Co]

I think we’re on the verge of AI (machine learning) offering better diagnoses than front-line medical professionals, at least in a first look. Just Saturday I had a weird little issue with a clicking in my ears and did a Google search. The Gemini answer told me exactly what to do, and it worked. Now, of course, this anecdotal evidence and a very minor issue that doesn’t mean much on the surface. But it’s a window on the future and where this stuff is headed. Apple is interesting because it’s investing in both hardware and software for health at the consumer level.

Of course this doesn‘t mean one shouldn’t go to a doctor if they have serious hearing loss or a complex medical issue. But these technologies can make one aware of issues they didn’t know about, or, as in the case of AirPods, make life improvements for people who may not need $6,000 hearing aids. It’s pretty remarkable, IMO.

Completely agree. Gemini, and other AI's can be useful tools. We, the users, have to show discernment when we're using them, like absolutely any other tool. But if we so choose, they're useful.

 

[kingspointer]

i tried to do it three times and it won't get past the left ear.

 

[Will Co]

With hearing loss, if you don't get it checked and medically treated that hearing loss can worsen over time. If the AirPods hearing test feature gives you a false positive then the hearing loss you have is going to worsen because it is not being treated, and it's not being treated because you were misinformed about the issue.

I don't disagree with you, here. But the test is FDA approved and that requires a body of evidence to be submitted by Apple so that the regulators can put these concerns to rest. It's why the feature isn't officially available on all countries, such as for me in the UK. Once it's been approved, we can use it with some degree of surety. It won't be perfect, but then neither will every professional test. It's a tool, and the fact that it exists means people have a choice. If they are not happy with the result from the Apple test, or just want a second opinion, then they can go and get one.

As I stated before, I use cochlear implants to treat my profound sensorineural hearing loss. if my hearing loss had been noticed and treated sooner then it could be that I would still be at moderate hearing loss today. Knowing what I know today I would never trust the AirPods hearing test feature.

I find your argument somewhat self-defeating. Had today's technology, including iPhones and AirPods and the hearing test been available years ago, you might well have used it, seen an unexpected result, and gone to a professional. It could have helped you with the early diagnosis you wanted.

In suggesting in your original post that Apple should *stop* adding medical features, you're suggesting that a future sufferer of your condition would not be able to make that useful self-discovery and get treatment.

I'm making such a fuss about this because I have spent years studying audiology. I cannot comment on the heart monitoring features of the Apple Watch because I have not studied cardiology.

I appreciate you have a lot of personal knowledge due to your condition. I don't think anyone is arguing with you on your point about how the HA feature of AirPods is absolutely not a real hearing aid, and the test is absolutely not a real test.

I'm suggesting that your conclusion: that Apple should cease and desist from such feature development, is wrong. It wasn't available early enough to help you, and maybe even had it been, it wouldn't have. My point is that it is likely to raise awareness and make people think about looking after their body. Just like all the other Apple health features. So I believe Apple should most definitely keep developing such features. And I feel pretty sure they will, since the market seems to respond very favourably when they do.

 

[lotones]

As someone who has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of audiology, I would not trust this hearing test feature. In fact I wouldn't go near it with a 10 foot pole. Hearing loss is not a simple matter, there are different kinds of hearing loss with different causes and different prescriptions.

I started losing my hearing many years ago, which resulted in me being prescribed with high power Phonak hearing aids. My hearing continued to decline to the point where hearing aids no longer helped me. Today I use cochlear implants for profound sensorineural hearing loss and they work much better for me than hearing aids.

A proper diagnosis of hearing loss involves not only audio testing, but also includes a physical examination of the outer and middle ear as well as bone conduction testing. All of these tests need to be properly performed in a soundproof audiological room. And, with any other proper medical intervention, a personal face-to-face interview is required with a trained physician. And, everyone should be getting their hearing properly tested in a audiology setting/booth every year anyway.

Apple really needs to stop adding medical features to their products, there are too many variables that could produce too many false positives/negatives as well as the possibility of overlooking an underlying disease.

Not everybody has needs as severe as yours, nor does everybody have access to expensive tests, $6K hearing aids, or cochlear implants. Some hearing assistance is better than none. Just because this isn't for you doesn't mean "Apple really needs to stop adding medical features to their products" for everybody else.

 

[onenorth]

My point is that it is likely to raise awareness and make people think about looking after their body. Just like all the other Apple health features. So I believe Apple should most definitely keep developing such features. And I feel pretty sure they will, since the market seems to respond very favourably when they do.

There's even more to it when you consider that this tech is contributing to medical science, and that the hearing test is just one component of a suite of hearing health services available through Apple products that many people own, such as iPhone and AirPods Pro 2.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/03/apple-hearing-study-shares-new-insights-on-hearing-health/

 

[Night Spring]

My point is that it is likely to raise awareness and make people think about looking after their body.

Totally this. I told my mom about the AirPods hearing aid feature, mostly because I wanted to tell her my reaction to being able to hear music more clearly, and she responded by saying she might consider using the feature herself. She only speaks extensively to other people about once a month when she goes to the hospital for check ups, so she hadn't considered spending thousands of dollars on a hearing aid. But upon hearing the AirPods are $250, she was definitely interested.

 

[zencowboy]

My results, 4dBHL (left ear); 1dBHL (right ear)

Pretty cool feature!

same.

 

[Saturn007]

This is why you need to see an audiologist to have a hearing aid custom prescribed for your level of hearing loss.. this is actually a medical prescription similar to eyeglasses. A prescribed hearing aid will adjust the volume of each frequency group rather than boosting all sound at the same volume.

Apple's hearing aid function does adjust volume for each frequency group.

Pretty important disagreement. Night Spring is quite helpful and well-informed about Apple products.

Interested in this because if Iwavvns is right, that’s a pretty severe limitation of using the AirPods as a hearing aid. However, if Night Spring is right, as my experience with his contributions leads me to believe, then the AirPods are, indeed, similar to prescribed hearing aids!

In checking on this, I found that Apple reports this:

Set up and use the Hearing Aid feature​

Hearing Aid uses the results from the Hearing Test that you took on your device or audiogram results from a hearing healthcare professional to customize the sound of your AirPods for your specific hearing needs. The Hearing Aid feature is intended for people 18 years and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.​

Use the Hearing Aid feature on your AirPods Pro 2 - Apple Support

AirPods Pro 2 provides a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss and a Media Assist feature, which enhances the clarity of music, video, and calls.

support.apple.com

If it loads an audiologist's audiogram that suggests it makes adjustments in volume by frequency. The AirPods hearing test certainly produces charts that look similar to an audiologist's!

But I haven't found any specific confirmation of that fact in my brief rummaging through Apple's site.

Would either of you follow up with a source so we can resolve this? I have a family member with expensive hearing aids and being able to adjust an equivalent aid at home would be a boon.

 

[Iwavvns]

Apple's hearing aid function does adjust volume for each frequency group.

And how much adjustment in which frequencies should be done in order to avoid damage to residual hearing? You see, this is my entire point, the average person is not going to know anything about audiology but this hearing test implies that they can easily become an expert. If it were that easy then audiologist wouldn't have to spend years training in order to become certified.

 

[Iwavvns]

If it loads an audiologist's audiogram that suggests it makes adjustments in volume by frequency. The AirPods hearing test certainly produces charts that look similar to an audiologist's!

But I haven't found any specific confirmation of that fact in my brief rummaging through Apple's site.

Would either of you follow up with a source so we can resolve this? I have a family member with expensive hearing aids and being able to adjust an equivalent aid at home would be a boon.

If it loads data from an audiologist then the dangers would be minimal. But why would the average person, who has never consulted an audiologist, need to go to an audiologist when their AirPods can let them know if they have a hearing loss or not? That is the danger. The AirPods test is free, the audiologist cost money.. which one do you think people are going to rely on? And, "a quiet room" is a world of difference from a soundproof booth that is used for conducting a proper audiogram.

 

[GregJohn]

link to hearing test doesnt work

 

[onenorth]

And how much adjustment in which frequencies should be done in order to avoid damage to residual hearing? You see, this is my entire point, the average person is not going to know anything about audiology but this hearing test implies that they can easily become an expert. If it were that easy then audiologist wouldn't have to spend years training in order to become certified.

It seems that the benefits of the Hearing Aid Feature outweigh any downsides, according to the FDA:

The Hearing Aid Feature (HAF) is a software-only mobile medical application that is intended to be used with compatible versions of the AirPods Pro. The HAF utilizes a self-fitting strategy, and users may adjust it to meet their hearing needs without the assistance of a hearing professional.

The HAF was evaluated in a clinical study with 118 subjects with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, at multiple U.S. sites. The results demonstrated that subjects who used the HAF self-fitting strategy achieved similar perceived benefit as subjects who received professional fitting of the same device. Results also showed comparable performance for tests measuring levels of amplification in the ear canal, as well as a measure of speech understanding in noise. No adverse events related to the device were observed in this study.

It's not likely to put the audiologists out of work, but rather to help improve hearing health among the general public.

There is a saying that bad data is worse than no data, but I'm not seeing evidence that Apple's design is outputting bad data. And if the data are reasonably close to anything a professional would find, then it seems like a net benefit to have it rather than to not have it. Over time the tech will improve as well.

 

[Iwavvns]

It seems that the benefits of the Hearing Aid Feature outweigh any downsides, according to the FDA:




It's not likely to put the audiologists out of work, but rather to help improve hearing health among the general public.

There is a saying that bad data is worse than no data, but I'm not seeing evidence that Apple's design is outputting bad data. And if the data are reasonably close to anything a professional would find, then it seems like a net benefit to have it rather than to not have it. Over time the tech will improve as well.

I'm not talking about the hearing aid feature, my problem is with the hearing test feature. I use the hearing aid features to connect my cochlear implants to my iPhone 15. But, given what I have learned from studying audiology, I would not trust the AirPods hearing test feature any further than I could throw it.

 

[Night Spring]

Pretty important disagreement. Night Spring is quite helpful and well-informed about Apple products.

Interested in this because if Iwavvns is right, that’s a pretty severe limitation of using the AirPods as a hearing aid. However, if Night Spring is right, as my experience with his contributions leads me to believe, then the AirPods are, indeed, similar to prescribed hearing aids!

In checking on this, I found that Apple reports this:

Set up and use the Hearing Aid feature​

Hearing Aid uses the results from the Hearing Test that you took on your device or audiogram results from a hearing healthcare professional to customize the sound of your AirPods for your specific hearing needs. The Hearing Aid feature is intended for people 18 years and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.​

Use the Hearing Aid feature on your AirPods Pro 2 - Apple Support

AirPods Pro 2 provides a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss and a Media Assist feature, which enhances the clarity of music, video, and calls.

support.apple.com

If it loads an audiologist's audiogram that suggests it makes adjustments in volume by frequency. The AirPods hearing test certainly produces charts that look similar to an audiologist's!

But I haven't found any specific confirmation of that fact in my brief rummaging through Apple's site.

Would either of you follow up with a source so we can resolve this? I have a family member with expensive hearing aids and being able to adjust an equivalent aid at home would be a boon.

I read the descriptions of the feature on Apple's website you quoted, and came to the conclusion that it's describing adjusting volume by frequency groups. Also, having set up my AirPods Pro with the feature, I can tell it is in fact behaving exactly like some of my hearing aids did -- amplifying the frequencies where my hearing is deficient, while not amplifying the ones I don't need amplified. The effect is totally different from putting on earphones/headphones and turning up the volume, which is what would happen with non-selective amplification.

And how much adjustment in which frequencies should be done in order to avoid damage to residual hearing? You see, this is my entire point, the average person is not going to know anything about audiology but this hearing test implies that they can easily become an expert. If it were that easy then audiologist wouldn't have to spend years training in order to become certified.

If it loads data from an audiologist then the dangers would be minimal. But why would the average person, who has never consulted an audiologist, need to go to an audiologist when their AirPods can let them know if they have a hearing loss or not? That is the danger. The AirPods test is free, the audiologist cost money.. which one do you think people are going to rely on? And, "a quiet room" is a world of difference from a soundproof booth that is used for conducting a proper audiogram.

You are right that the average person doesn't necessarily know the best practices to protect their hearing, or how best to adjust hearing aids to compensate for different types of hearing loss. I believe that is why Apple has limited this hearing aid feature to work with only mild to moderate hearing loss. This is comparable to those reading glasses you can buy at drug stores. Using those will probably only make me dizzy and might further damage my eyesight, but for people with more simple eye sight issues, they work, and they can avoid costly and time consuming visits to the optometrist.

I also recommend that people using the hearing aid feature also turn Reduce Loud Sound settings on. It's in Settings > Sound, I believe. I wish that feature had been available with my hearing aids -- I used to turn off my hearing aids in a noisy environment because the sound hurt my ears.