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Testing the New iOS 18.1 Hearing Aid Functionality

johnsawyercjs said:
Are 7Bxx the latest firmware versions for the Airpods Pro 2? Apple still lists the latest firmware version, as of Oct 7 2024, as 7A305, at least according to their article at https://support.apple.com/en-us/106340. This is what my Airpods Pro 2 have, which I bought maybe two or three weeks ago. I've had them in their charging case (which I usually place on a Magsafe charger, but sometimes I plug it directly into a charger via a cable) and near my iPhone (running iOS 18.0.1) for several hours a day, and have received no firmware updates beyond 7A305. Am I missing something? I've gone through the reset process for the Airpods several times, but that hasn't triggered a firmware update beyond 7A305.

Edit:
I see now, according to the article at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-releases-new-airpods-pro-2-beta-firmware.2440138/, that Airpod firmware versions 7Bxx are beta firmware updates for people who are signed up as developers, and that 7B5013d is the latest version. Does Apple restrict beta versions of Airpod firmware updates only to people whose iPhones contain developer releases of iOS? If so, I'm guessing that when iOS 18.1 is released later this month, that this should allow Airpods with the current 7A305 release firmware to be updated to the next release version, making them compatible with the new hearing aid functionality.
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My AirPods are 7A305 & the hearing function works well.
 
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russell_314 said:
Perhaps you should talk to your government about this? If Apple could release it in your country, I’m sure they would. Some governments have so much bureaucratic red tape that it takes them longer to get a feature there.

They make money with these features by selling AirPods and iPhones. There is no incentive for them not to release it.
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nutmac said:
At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, Apple is a US-based company and as such, it typically rolls out many features, especially the health related features that may require a regulatory approval, to US first

Hopefully, Apple will expand this feature to your country soon.
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True. But there are so many many many features that don’t require red tape missing in international markets. It’s hard to keep finding excuses.
 
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barkingsheltie said:
Once you take the hearing test, and for example, you have hearing loss, is activating a 'hearing aid' in accessibility essentially loading an audiogram? Would seeing a professional audiologist to get a custom audiogram have any advantages?
Not sure if I have hearing loss - no problem with dialogue at movies or with friends, but my TV is another issue - it could be the old speakers I have. I do look forward to taking the test. It is an excellent feature.
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I took a tests with the Mimi hearing app and the results were pretty accurate, same as with my doctor.
 
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I just did the test and it came back with "mild loss" just as I had expected. It actually matched an audiogram I did with an audiologist around a year ago to the T, which is very impressive considering I had to wait for an appointment, take time off work, and drive 2 hours for it. This feature will definitely help millions of people catch hearing loss early on and prevent more loss (I've been much more careful since then).

As far as the correction, it definitely helps my hearing but it seems to be really over corrected. I have it on the lowest correction level possible and it makes me hear even my own breathing to the point where it's not comfortable.
 
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macmac30 said:
Cracks me up, I took the test today and it reported 13db left and 16db right. I think this pissed off my wife because she has been telling me that I need to get my hearing checked forever!!! LOL! I said, nope, Apple says I'm good! Ha ha! However, I will say that when I open and close the dishwasher and forget to press Start I usually can't hear the warning beeps (KitchenAid, why do you design your dishwashers this way? It's stupid! I realize why Jobs would have discussions with the family members about this stuff at dinner!). Anyway, after I did the test, I was kind of hoping that the APP2 would allow me to clearly hear the dishwasher beeping. No dice - couldn't hear it at all...and still can't hear the wife! 😜
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Interesting because I have like 32 dBHL on my left ear and I can still hear those. I can't hear the washing machine key press chimes with my right though (40dbHL).
 
allenvanhellen said:
Real hearing aids have replaceable batteries. AirPods are cheaper in the short run, but are just disposable gadgets you’ll have to replace even more often if you use these features.
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Plus you can wear them 24/7 and are hidden. But if it makes people realize they some level of hearing problems it’s great.
 
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macmac30 said:
Cracks me up, I took the test today and it reported 13db left and 16db right. I think this pissed off my wife because she has been telling me that I need to get my hearing checked forever!!! LOL! I said, nope, Apple says I'm good! Ha ha! However, I will say that when I open and close the dishwasher and forget to press Start I usually can't hear the warning beeps (KitchenAid, why do you design your dishwashers this way? It's stupid! I realize why Jobs would have discussions with the family members about this stuff at dinner!). Anyway, after I did the test, I was kind of hoping that the APP2 would allow me to clearly hear the dishwasher beeping. No dice - couldn't hear it at all...and still can't hear the wife! 😜
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I had the exact same reaction when I started my dishwasher today with the hearing aids feature enabled. I also have “real” hearing aids so in interested in A/B-ing them.
 
TalkieToaster said:
If you have an actual hearing loss that you can sense, you should go to an audiologist. Most of the time when a person is getting older, it's typical that you can get a gradual hearing loss. However bypassing medical intervention in this case can miss cases with neurological involvement. They can also miss cases where medical intervention can gain your hearing back, like in diagnostic cases where you may need steroids. If treatment isn't sought then you could make a hearing loss you thought was permanent, actually permanent by not getting treatment. Tumors along the auditory nerve and brainstem can cause a hearing loss. A lot of these are treatable with great success but FATAL if left alone to grow. This new trend of 'going around' the healthcare system may miss some of these cases and become a real problem. Be careful out there and remember to be your own best advocate for your health!
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There is sense there. But I suspect quite a number will be like me - had a professional hearing test years ago, issues found but no sinister causes. Lived with it for years.

Now, I have lost a little bit more - probably typical for age - so do not really feel the need for an audiologist assessment.

Of course, I could be wrong. But if it weren't for this feature I wouldn't even have thought of getting another audiologist assessment. When eventually available to those of us in the UK, I'll compare with my historic test. If no dramatic change, I'll leave it at that.
 
Two things pop into my mind.

First, how well does the hearing test work when you have tinnitus? At this moment, I'd really struggle to hear sound that lies in the frequency region of my tinnitus. It is raging. But at other times it is mild.

Second, can the audiogram be used in, for example, my MacBook Pro to adjust the speaker output? Obviously, if I'm using air-pods that is not an issue but I think I'd often be using the speakers by choice and only using air-pods when I want to concentrate on something. (Experience might push me to use them more of the time, I'll see when I get some! That is what I do with my existing non-Apple ones.)
 
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arc of the universe said:
9to5mac has reported that the hearing aid functions are only available in the USA and Canada, at this time.
this is an important detail that would have been good to know.
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krspkbl said:
Oh look another US exclusive feature.

iOS 18 so far is disappointing. No AI. no hearing aid.
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Kylo83 said:
The one feature that would me I can’t get as it’s one USA, I’m upset it’s not coming to the uk
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There's several users in different European countries who've got this working without having to do any hacks (e.g. changing country to USA), but there's a lot of confusion about what criteria needs to be in place (e.g. APP2 fw version) that this article doesn't address (Maybe @MacRumors could update the article?)

Some other sources are reporting that the function is only available in the USA and Canada, but further reading suggests that might only be for the hearing protection functionality. See Apple's footnotes at https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/hearing-health/ copied below:

1. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to be available fall 2024. The Hearing Aid feature has received FDA authorization. Both features will be supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later and are intended for people 18 years old or older. The Hearing Aid feature will also be supported on a compatible Mac with macOS Sequoia and later. It is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.

2. The Hearing Protection feature works with AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia and later. Feature is only available in the U.S. and Canada. See support.apple.com/120850 for total attenuation and more information. The Hearing Protection feature is not suitable for protection against extremely loud impulse sounds, such as gunfire, fireworks, or jackhammers, or against sustained sounds louder than 110 dBA.
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Robert.Walter said:
Switch your country to USA. Set up. Switch back. I did.
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Would be interesting to know a couple more details, as this hasn't worked for other people, e.g. which iOS and APP2 firmware are you on, specifically what settings did you use to 'switch your country to USA', what country are you actually in (i.e. what did you switch back to).

Thanks!
 
darthbane2k said:
Am getting fed up with the UK getting shafted.
Goodness knows when we’ll see ‘Apple intelligence’ too.
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we get shafted multiple ways by apple both with price and features its nothing new

they keep the price of products low in the USA and they raise prices elsewhere this protects market share in the States.
 
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Does turning on the hearing aid function adjust all audio, i.e., will it adjust music played from Apple Music so that people with moderate hearing loss hear the music the way it was supposed to be heard?
 
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darthbane2k said:
Am getting fed up with the UK getting shafted.
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Don't forget that in the UK hearing aids are classed as medical devices and have to be approved by the MHRA, in the same way that Apple have had to get them approved by the FDA in the US and would have to go through similar approvals in most (if not all) other countries where they want to release this functionality.

Medical approvals are no walk in the park, so it's quite reasonable for Apple to take a staggered approach to this, rather than have paid to get multiple simultaneous approvals underway just for it to fail FDA approval and them have to go back to the drawing board. It's also likely that other approvals may be underway, but just not granted yet. Apple aren't going to hold back a release in their biggest market just because of that.

We're lucky in the UK as when Apple do staged roll-outs, we're almost always in the second stage so I'm not sure why you think we're getting shafted, especially as there's a lot of countries where functionality never gets rolled-out.

darthbane2k said:
Goodness knows when we’ll see ‘Apple intelligence’ too.
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I can help you there. December 2024. A whole couple of months after the US.
 
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