AirPods now provide a variety of functions relating to hearing health and accessibility. A fresh source, however, claims that Apple has enormous plans for iOS 18: a new “hearing aid mode” for AirPods Pro.
In the most recent edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that AirPods Pro will not see any hardware upgrades in 2024. Instead, he claims, “The big news will be a large new hearing aid mode, coming alongside iOS 18.”
AirPods already include a feature known as Live Listen, which debuted with iOS 12 in 2018. This feature effectively converts an iPhone into a directional microphone, sending sounds captured by the iPhone to AirPods in real-time. A few testimonials over the years have demonstrated how valuable this tool can be.
In 2021, Apple added a Conversation Boost feature to AirPods Pro that improves mic pickup from right in front of you, allowing you to hear someone speaking to you more clearly. Also noteworthy: 2022, the FDA issued new guidelines for selling hearing aids over the counter.
More information on this new iOS 18 capability for AirPods Pro owners needs to be clarified. Gurman has previously reported on Apple’s plans to add new hearing health capabilities to AirPods. Last year, he stated that Apple is developing a hearing test capability for future AirPods.