When most people think of hearing aids, they picture small, beige-colored devices that fit snugly inside or behind the ear. But what if the future of hearing devices is simply software that works on electronic devices you already possess?
If you are an adult with mild to moderate hearing loss, this may soon be your reality, especially if you own a pair of AirPods Pro 2!
Apple Launches First Software Hearing Aid
Visit Apple’s new Hearing Health tab, and you are greeted with an exciting message:
“You will soon have access to a Hearing Test, a Hearing Aid feature, and active Hearing Protection, using just AirPods Pro 2 and an iPhone or iPad. It’s the world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience — and it will be available with a free software update.” (“AirPods Pro 2 – Hearing Health – Apple”)
The new software is expected this fall.
Once installed and customized for your hearing profile, the Hearing Aid Feature turns compatible versions of the AirPods Pro into OTC hearing aids, ready to improve the user’s listening experience in a variety of settings.
While the battery life is not sufficient for all-day use, this will likely improve with time. For now, people with mild to moderate hearing loss can use them situationally, which may be exactly what they are looking for.
Several Challenges Remain for Users
Taking the hearing test and setting up the devices may be the easy part. Learning how to use them in real life could be tougher, especially when it comes to social norms. Today, AirPods are used mostly for phone calls, listening to music, or streaming podcasts. Will they transition well to less solitary situations where hearing help is required?
For example, can you wear them during work meetings or when dining out with friends without looking like you are distracted or listening to the latest sporting event on the sly? Perhaps not at first, but I imagine it will get easier. There once was a time when it was considered strange to talk loudly on the phone in public, too!
If the devices work well, it will become more acceptable to wear them in a wider variety of settings. When one person does it, it is easier for others to follow suit. Soon, we may all be wearing devices of some sort in our ears everywhere we go!
Is This the Beginning of the End for Hearing Aid Stigma?
AirPods Pro hearing aids are not optimal for everyone, especially those with more severe hearing losses or for people who require all-day use. But as a starter pair, they might be just the ticket for many who would otherwise choose to go without.
I hope this new take on hearing aids is widely adopted because the first step in beating back stigma is normalization. If everyone is fine-tuning their hearing in hard-to-listen situations, it will become acceptable and expected. And stigma will fade.
As time passes and if users of AirPods Pro hearing aids (and all OTC devices) experience further hearing loss, the transition to more professional devices may also be easier. Rather than a stigma-filled life-altering experience, it would simply be the next step on a pre-existing hearing care journey.
We can only hope.
Shari Eberts is a passionate hearing health advocate and internationally recognized author and speaker on hearing loss issues. She is the founder of Living with Hearing Loss, a popular blog and online community for people with hearing loss, and an executive producer of We Hear You, an award-winning documentary about the hearing loss experience. Her book, Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss, (co-authored with Gael Hannan) is the ultimate survival guide to living well with hearing loss. Shari has an adult-onset genetic hearing loss and hopes that by sharing her story, she will help others to live more peacefully with their own hearing issues. Connect with Shari: Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter.
