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6 min read 8 stepsMay 13, 2026Verified May 2026

Use AirPods Pro 2 as Hearing Aids — Setup Walkthrough

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 now have FDA-cleared hearing aid features. Here is how to test your hearing and set them up.

At a Glance

Confirm you have the right AirPods and updated software

~44s

You need: AirPods Pro 2 (the case has a small speaker grille on the bottom for Find My). Open the case near your iPhone and tap "Settings > [Your AirPods name]" — the firmware should be 7B19 or higher. If older, plug the case into power, leave it next to your iPhone overnight, and the firmware will update automatically. Your iPhone needs to be on iOS 18.1 or newer (Settings > General > Software Update). AirPods 2nd gen, AirPods 3, AirPods Max, and AirPods Pro 1st gen do NOT support the hearing aid features. Only AirPods Pro 2.

Warning

The hearing aid feature is currently available in the United States, the EU, the UK, Canada, Australia, and a growing list of other countries. If you are outside one of those, the setting may not appear yet.

Find a quiet room and put the AirPods in

~42s

You need a quiet space for about 5 minutes — a closed bedroom or office, no TV, no fans, no air conditioner if you can pause it. The room must be very quiet for the hearing test to be accurate. Put both AirPods in. Make sure the silicone tips fit well — if they are loose, the test will be inaccurate. Apple includes four ear tip sizes in the box. The medium size is usually the right one but try each if the AirPods feel loose.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: To check the tip fit, open Settings > [Your AirPods] > scroll to "Ear Tip Fit Test." It plays a quick tone and tells you if the seal is good. Re-do it if either ear shows "Adjust or try a different size."

Take the at-home hearing test

~24s

Open Settings > [Your AirPods name]. Tap "Hearing Health." Tap "Take a Hearing Test." Follow the prompts — the test takes about 5 minutes. You will hear tones at different volumes and pitches in each ear and tap the screen when you hear something. The test gives you an audiogram (a chart of your hearing across frequencies) and classifies your hearing as no loss, mild, moderate, or moderately severe. Save the result.

Turn on Hearing Aid mode

~30s

After the test, if you have mild to moderate hearing loss, the iPhone offers to "Set Up Hearing Aid" using your audiogram. Tap Set Up. The phone customizes the AirPods to amplify exactly the frequencies you have trouble with. You can also use the feature with a hearing test PDF from an audiologist — Apple accepts standard audiogram files (Settings > [AirPods] > Hearing Health > Import Audiogram).

Warning

If you have severe or profound hearing loss, the AirPods will tell you to see an audiologist. They are FDA-cleared for mild and moderate only.

Turn on Conversation Boost for restaurants and dinners

~27s

Conversation Boost focuses the microphones forward, on the person in front of you, and reduces side noise. This is the killer feature for restaurants. To turn it on: Open Control Center on your iPhone (swipe down from the top-right). Press and hold the volume slider. Tap "Hearing Assist" if shown, or tap the ear icon. Toggle "Conversation Boost" on. You can also set a custom button or shortcut so you do not have to dig for it every time.

Use Live Listen to hear someone across the room

~38s

Live Listen turns your iPhone into a remote microphone. Place the iPhone next to the person you want to hear (or in the middle of a dinner table). Their voice plays through your AirPods. To enable: add Hearing to Control Center first — Settings > Control Center > tap + next to "Hearing." Then in Control Center, tap the Hearing button > tap "Live Listen." Place the phone where you need a microphone. Stop Live Listen the same way when done.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: At a noisy restaurant, place the iPhone face-down in the middle of the table and turn on Live Listen — the bottom mics aim upward and the AirPods focus on the table.

Adjust the sound for comfort

~23s

If the world sounds too loud or too tinny: Settings > [AirPods] > Hearing Health > Hearing Aid > Adjustments. You can change overall volume, balance left/right, and tone (warmer or brighter). If you have not adjusted the fit in a few weeks and things sound off, retake the Ear Tip Fit Test. Hearing also changes day-to-day with sinus pressure, allergies, or sleep. It is normal to tweak slightly.

Care, battery, and when to see an audiologist

~37s

AirPods Pro 2 in hearing aid mode get about 6 hours per charge. The case holds 4 full recharges, so a full day is fine but plug the case in each night. Clean the mesh tips weekly with a dry soft brush — wax buildup makes the AirPods sound muffled. See a real audiologist annually for a baseline test, especially if your hearing test result changes by more than 10 dB at any frequency or if you have sudden hearing loss in one ear.

Warning

AirPods are not a replacement for treatment if you have ringing in the ears (tinnitus), sudden hearing loss in one ear, ear pain, or drainage. Those need a doctor.

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In late 2024, the FDA cleared AirPods Pro 2 to be sold as a hearing aid for mild to moderate hearing loss. The feature is built into every set of AirPods Pro 2 (the second-generation model with USB-C or Lightning charging case) running the iOS 18.1 update or later. There is no extra charge — if you already own AirPods Pro 2, you already own a clinical-grade hearing aid.

This matters because traditional hearing aids cost $2,000 to $6,000 a pair, often are not covered by Medicare, and require a specialist visit. AirPods Pro 2 cost about $189–$249 and are available at Best Buy, Costco, and the Apple Store. For people with mild or early hearing loss, this is the biggest health tech change in a decade.

This guide walks through the four-step setup: taking the at-home hearing test, enabling Hearing Aid mode, fine-tuning the result, and using the supporting features like Conversation Boost and Live Listen for restaurants and group dinners.

(Sources: Apple Support — "Use AirPods Pro 2 as a Hearing Aid," support.apple.com/guide/iphone/hearing-health; FDA Press Release — fda.gov; AARP Health Tech, aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments)

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Official Resources

Medicare.gov MedlinePlus — Health Info AARP Health & Technology

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