AI Hearing Aids and Using AirPods as Hearing Aids
Artificial intelligence now runs inside most new hearing aids, and Apple's AirPods Pro can act as an over-the-counter hearing aid for mild to moderate loss. Here is what the technology really does, what it does not do, and when a Florida audiologist is still the right call.
What AI does in modern hearing aids
In a hearing aid, "AI" means the processor has been trained on many thousands of sound samples so it can recognize what kind of place you are in and adjust automatically. It is not a chatbot and it does not understand the words. It sorts sound into categories, then applies settings that a person would once have had to change by hand.
Noise reduction and speech focus
The most useful job is separating speech from background noise. Newer chips analyze sound many times a second, pick out the voice in front of you and turn down the clatter of a restaurant or the road noise in a car. Some models compare the sound at both ears so the aids work as a pair rather than as two separate devices.
Scene classification
The aid recognizes a quiet room, a car, music, wind, a crowd, and switches programs without you touching anything. Older aids had these programs too, but you had to press a button. Automatic switching is what most people notice first when they move from an older aid to a new one.
Health sensors and phone features
Because a hearing aid sits on your body all day, some manufacturers add motion sensors for step counting and fall alerts, and phone apps that let you fine-tune the sound, find a lost aid or ask for remote adjustments from your provider. Several apps also use AI to translate speech or transcribe conversations to text on your phone.
What AI hearing aids do not do
- They do not restore normal hearing. A damaged inner ear still sends a distorted signal to the brain, and no processor can fully repair that.
- They do not replace a hearing test. The aid can only be programmed well if someone measured your hearing first.
- They do not fit themselves. Poor physical fit, wrong dome size or a blocked vent will defeat the best software.
- They do not solve every noisy room. Reverberant halls and large group tables are still hard; a hearing loop, a remote microphone or captions often help more than any setting inside the aid.
- They do not remove the need for follow-up. Hearing changes over time and the programming should be checked, usually once a year.
Treat AI as a strong set of automatic controls, not a cure. If a salesperson leads with the word AI and cannot explain what the aid does in a noisy restaurant compared with the last model, ask for a trial period in writing.
How to use AirPods as hearing aids
In September 2024 Apple announced a Hearing Aid feature for AirPods Pro 2, and the FDA authorized it as the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device. The feature is intended for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. It is real amplification tuned to your own hearing test, not just a volume boost.
What you need
- AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3 with the latest firmware.
- An iPhone or iPad running the latest software.
- You must be 18 or older, and the feature must be available in your country or region (it is in the United States).
How to take the hearing test
- Find a quiet room and put the AirPods in. The iPhone checks the fit and the background noise before it starts.
- Open Settings, select your AirPods, and choose Take a Hearing Test. The test takes about five minutes.
- Tap the screen each time you hear a tone. The phone tests each ear across several pitches.
- Your result is shown in decibels of hearing level for each ear and saved to the Health app. If you already have an audiogram from a hearing professional, you can upload that instead of testing.
- Turn on the Hearing Aid feature. Your hearing profile is applied to the sounds around you when the AirPods are in Transparency mode and no media is playing. Media Assist applies the same profile to music, video and calls.
Who it is for
Apple says the feature is for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. If the test shows severe or profound loss, or your hearing has changed suddenly, Apple's own guidance is to talk to a doctor. The test is a screening, not a medical diagnosis.
Sources: Apple Support: Use AirPods Pro as a hearing aid · Apple Support: Take a hearing test with AirPods Pro · Apple Newsroom: hearing health features, September 2024
AirPods versus prescription hearing aids: the limits
- Battery. AirPods run for hours, not days. A hearing aid is worn from waking to bedtime, and Apple notes the AirPods must be charged for the Hearing Aid feature to work.
- Fit and comfort. Earbuds seal the ear canal. Many people with high-frequency loss do better with an open fit that a prescription aid can provide.
- Degree of loss. Over-the-counter devices, including AirPods, are for mild to moderate loss only. Severe loss needs a prescription aid with more power and a professional fitting.
- Wearing them all day. Earbuds in a meeting or at dinner still read as "not listening" to some people. Hearing aids are designed to be discreet and worn constantly.
- Telecoils and loops. AirPods have no telecoil, so they cannot pick up hearing loops in churches, theaters and counters. See our hearing loops page.
- No professional adjustment. Nobody checks the real-ear output in your ear canal, nobody adjusts the program after a month of real-life use, and nobody looks at the ear itself for wax or a medical cause.
Where AirPods shine: a first step for someone who is not ready for hearing aids, a backup pair, a way to notice how much you have been missing, and a low-cost trial of amplification before you invest.
Hearing loops and telecoils in Florida · Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio
When a Florida audiologist is still the right call
- Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears. This is a medical emergency; see a doctor the same day.
- Hearing loss in one ear only, pain, drainage, dizziness or ringing that started recently.
- A self-test result in the severe range, or an over-the-counter device that does not help after a fair trial.
- Trouble following speech in noise even with amplification. A professional can measure this and recommend remote microphones, loops or captions.
- You are a child or teenager. Over-the-counter hearing aids and the AirPods feature are for adults only.
- You want a device covered by insurance, a veterans benefit or a Florida assistance program; most of those require a professional evaluation.
Florida licenses both audiologists and hearing aid specialists. Either can fit hearing aids, and an audiologist can also diagnose the cause of a loss. Ask about a trial period, the return policy, and whether the aids include a telecoil.
How to find a hearing professional in Florida · Financial assistance for hearing aids
AI hearing aid and AirPods questions
Can AirPods really work as hearing aids?
Yes, within limits. AirPods Pro 2 and Pro 3 have an FDA-authorized Hearing Aid feature for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. You take a five-minute hearing test on your iPhone, or upload an audiogram, and the AirPods amplify the sounds around you to match your hearing profile. They are not a substitute for prescription aids if your loss is severe, and they lack all-day battery life and a telecoil.
What is the best AI hearing aid?
It depends on your hearing loss, your ears and where you struggle most. Rather than comparing brand names, compare how each aid performs in noise during a trial, whether it has a telecoil for hearing loops, its Bluetooth standard (LE Audio and Auracast are the newest), battery type, the app, and the provider's follow-up care and return policy. A professional fitting matters more than the chip.
Do AI hearing aids cost more?
Usually the newest processors appear first in a manufacturer's top-tier models, which carry the highest price. Within a year or two the same automatic features move down to mid-range models. Ask your provider which tier you actually need for the places you spend time, and ask what the price includes: fitting, follow-up visits, warranty and repairs. Florida assistance programs may help with the cost.
Is the AirPods hearing test accurate?
Apple describes the test as clinically validated and it uses the same tone-based method as a hearing screening, but it is not a diagnosis. Fit, background noise and how carefully you respond all affect the result. If the result surprises you, shows a big difference between ears or lands in the severe range, have a full evaluation with an audiologist.
Talk it over with people who use these devices
HLAA-FL chapters across Florida meet in person and on Zoom. Members compare hearing aids, apps and earbuds from real experience, with no sales pitch.