Why are AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid features not available in the UK?

gr7 wrote:

'You can call it "hearing aid" but that doesn't make it a hearing aid in the technical sense. Telling people they can get the hearing aid feature on versions of iOS prior to 18.1 is misleading.'

At no point did I call them a hearing aid. Please take the time to read and digest my posts before accusing me of posting misleading information.

You quoted thusly: "If they were hearing aids, they would work on things other than listening to music. But they don't. Or didn't until now." You then responded. And, the post to which you replied initially was giving misleading information and calling them hearing aids. My apologies for misunderstanding that you were actually talking about something different than the subject of the subconversation.

gr7 wrote:

They do work on improving hearing as well as music. This feature has been available for a while.

You can call it "hearing aid" but that doesn't make it a hearing aid in the technical sense. Telling people they can get the hearing aid feature on versions of iOS prior to 18.1 is misleading.

Maybe you should visit a few Hearing Aid forums including on Facebook where many people with mild, medium and severe hearing loss are already using the Airpods as hearing aids and have been since 2022.

I will call it Idris if it makes you feel better but I know of many people who are using them running IOS 17.7.1.

It is not misleading AT all if they are helping people, just because YOU say they don't work!

How do you know I'm a he and not a she or a they?

The only Idris I know of is a male actor so I took an educated guess.

I am now out of this conversation and I will continue to use my Airpods that actually work better than the Jabras that I used despite being told that their efficacy is a figment of my imagination. 😂😂😂

Hi GR7.

We have just been having a discussion with Idris.

I just updated my iPhone to iOS 18.1 and cannot see the hearing aid/hearing test features. My AirPods are up to date 7B19

I'm in the UK if that makes any difference.

I've just noticed that the feature is not available in the UK. It's just about the only country where it's not available.

It's not the only country by any means but it's a real pain. Other major countries include Canada, France, Italy and Spain. Until the individual country get approval, 18.1 effectively stops your iPhone from working. Presumably it is no longer doing what you have been doing for a year. ie. Using your AirPods as hearing aids. Can you confirm that please?

IN IOS 18.1, if you attempt a hearing test that is in any way severe, a screen will appear telling you to book an appointment with an Audiologist and will go no further.

It's the reason I have been holding back from IOS18 and I'm really glad that I did.

IN IOS 18.1, if you attempt a hearing test that is in any way severe, a screen will appear telling you to book an appointment with an Audiologist and will go no further.

I'm UK based as well. I've seen nothing different in the accessibility> headphone accomodations since upgrading to 18.1.

I use the 'mimi' hearing test to update my hearing test results in the health app. My hearing is 31 dBHL left and 33dBHL right. Maybe your results are more severe and affect how iOS responds.

My left ear bordered on severe in my Costco Audiogram but the Mimi app showed it to be moderate.

Have the menus changed at all? Somebody on the Facebook forum upgraded and ran the Apple Hearing test and was promptly blocked out as her hearing is into the severe range. A message popped up and told her to book an appointment with an Audiologist and wouldn’t go any further.

Others who live in the UK have upgraded to IOS 18.1 can no longer access any of the hearing features since they did the upgrade. Others who had just bought the Airpods could not access the Apple hearing test or the hearing features.

If you have an Apple device that is running 17.7.1 or older, an iPad works, you can use your Audiogram.

I never updated my iPhone to IOS 18.1 so it still allows me to use my audiogram and I will wait for MHRA approval in the UK before I update. I did a test on my wife's 2018 iPad that is on 17.7.1 yesterday and it works well but the iPad is a bit big to lug around if you want to change settings.

Having said all that, an old iPhone 12 off of eBay or Amazon will do the job as long as you switch updates off.

Do you know how bad your hearing is? If not download the Mimi hearing test app and check. If your hearing is severe, eve when the MHRA approves the Airpods the Apple Hearing test will lock you out. The Airpods are only good for mild to moderate hearing loss.

Even if your country does get approval, if your hearing test shows severe hearing loss the Airpods won’t work. They are only good for mild to moderate hearing loss.

The AirPod Pro 2s have been available as hearing aids since 2022 when they were first launched.

If you already have the AirPod Pro 2s AND your iPhone is on an old IOS like 17.7.1 or older they will already work as hearing aids without any restrictions.

If that is the case, you can go online to YouTube and there are loads of videos explaining how to do it, or reply to this message and I will explain how to do it. I have been using them for five weeks and I never rush to update to any new apps or updates as there are always glitches to iron out.

If you have an older iPad, (I have a 2018) running IOS 17.7.1 you can set them up without the latest restrictions and they work in any country. You just apply your Audiogram to the Airpods in Headphone Accommodations. If you don't have an audiogram, download the Mimi app and use it for your hearing test.

Even an old iPhone 12 running IOS 17.7.1 will do the job.

The NHS is not the body to approve of the test. It’s a device so the MHRA are responsible. They, like most UK regulatory bodies are slow and ‘behind the curve’.

Maybe we should all write to them to get some action. Probably all working from home…..

The AirPods have been available as hearing aids since 2022.

Again, that is incorrect.

That's not incorrect at all. Many people, myself included, have been using the custom transparency mode based on an audiogram we had to provide, and this worked as hearing aids. A functionality that is now broken with 18.1 as audiogram cannot be used for custom transparency mode anymore.

thanosgr9 wrote:

That's not incorrect at all. Many people, myself included, have been using the custom transparency mode based on an audiogram we had to provide, and this worked as hearing aids. A functionality that is now broken with 18.1 as audiogram cannot be used for custom transparency mode anymore.

It's not incorrect. I'm not denying you could do that or that it helped with some things. But it didn't do what a hearing aid does and wasn't approved as such.

Just saw this article in Wired on getting around Apple's geolocation in order to get acccess to the hearing aid functionality. I lack the skills, tools, and microwave to do it, but someone might find it useful. Edit - URL got removed, but go to Wired's homepage and you'll find it

No because I never update my iPhone or computer until the bugs are and glitches are ironed out. If I had recently updated my Mac Mini to the latest OS when Apple kept reminding me it would have cost me over £500 to update our restaurant ordering system.

I never updated my iPhone in the first place.

Two weeks at my GP to get a hearing test. And hearing aids weeks after. All the GP has to do is check your ears for infection or wax. If clear then the trick is to pick Spec Savers for your hearing test. Very quick. And they do fab free ones that even Bluetooth to your mobile phone for music! Also an app to alter them. Good luck.

Well I just bought a pair of AirPods Pro 2 from the local Apple Store in the UK. I spoke to the sales people at length about how I was impressed by their inclusion of hearing tests, hearing aid and protection functions. I liked that you wear them in noisy environment to protect your hearing. Clever stuff which closed the sale for me.

At no point did they suggest that none of these features are actually available to UK customers (because of regulations for test and aid, and actually protection is only available in N America). In effect, the product was missold to me. I am therefore disappointed and feel misled.

The AirPods Pro to a UK user are OK as they are, but could have been much better. Bit of a con really.

Apple SupportUK is as much use as a chocolate fireguard on this subject. I enquire and had to jump through several hoops e.g "Serial number please". Nothing wrong with the AirPods Pro 2 just asking why the UK is not included.

Did a bit of research and this is what came up from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. 

Apple simply hasn't registered them in the UK! This is the MHRA response.

Thank you for your email.

As of 18 Nov 2024, Apple Inc has not registered the AirPods Pro 2 or Hearing Aid Feature as a medical device with the MHRA. Details on what Apple has registered with the MHRA are available to search on the Public Access Registrations Database (PARD) at the following link PARD

Registration of devices with the MHRA (the UK Competent Authority) does not represent any form of accreditation, certification, approval or endorsement by the MHRA.

In accordance with the above, medical device manufacturers must ensure that all information registered with the MHRA is accurate and up to date.

You may wish to contact Apple UK (see details below) to learn of plans to introduce the Hearing Aid Feature in the UK.