Apple’s AirPods Pro are some of the best wireless headphones on the planet – but you might not know you can use them as makeshift hearing aids if you need to amplify the world around you at home. rigor.
It is important to note that Apple headphones are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as hearing aids, and according to audiologist Abram Bailey, “They won’t work for more severe hearing loss.”
However, a headset hosting feature released with iOS 14 means the AirPods Pro have some of the features you need to hear your surroundings more clearly, including personalized amplification and noise reduction.
Indeed, this function works with the Transparency mode of the noise canceling headphones, “making quieter voices more audible and adapting the sound of your environment to your hearing needs”. Transparency mode allows ambient sound to pass through the headphones, and the headphone slots allow you to adjust the sound level – essentially allowing you to amplify your surroundings, much like a hearing aid would.
It only works with AirPods Pro, so it’s your best bet if you want to use the accessibility feature to hear your surroundings more clearly.
However, you can still access some of the benefits of the feature if you own different Apple headphones. According to Apple, the accessibility feature “also amplifies mellow sounds and adjusts audio so that music, movies, phone calls, and podcasts sound more clearly and clearly,” which will help you hear what you want. play with your headphones or earphones more clarity. This aspect of functionality works with most Apple headphones, including AirPods (2019), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Apple EarPods, Beats Solo Pro, Powerbeats Pro, and Powerbeats.
How to activate headphone adaptations
First, you’ll need a device running iOS 14 or iPadOS 14. On your device, open Settings> Accessibility> Audio / Visual> Headset adaptations.
You can then define your own custom audio settings; turn on Phone to apply them to phone calls and turn on Media to apply them to music, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, Siri, voicemail, and live listening.
You can then use the Custom Audio Setup to listen to audio samples and choose the one that suits you best, applying these settings to your headphones – you can also manually adjust the EQ balance slider to tune the sound.
You can also use your audiogram data from the Health app to customize your audio settings, changing the left / right balance of your audio if you have one ear better than the other.
As we mentioned, these features work with all Apple headphones, but to use your headphones as makeshift hearing aids, you will specifically need the AirPods Pro true wireless headphones.
How to use AirPods Pro as a hearing aid
Apple says that when Transparency is on, your existing headset slot settings “may change the way you hear your own voice or increase the noise level in your surroundings,” and you may need to adjust them to accommodate them. make more comfortable.
It’s a good idea to start from a softer setting by adjusting the Tone or Amplify slider, gradually increasing it to the setting that allows you to hear people’s voices or natural sounds most clearly. around you.
To customize your Transparency mode settings, open Headset adapters, then select Transparency mode. Tap Custom Transparency Mode and adjust the audio volume balance between left and right channels using the Transparency Balance slider.
You can also adjust the transparency model settings by tapping the Audition icon (hint: it looks like an ear) in Control Center.
What about live listening?
If you don’t have a pair of AirPods Pro, you can still temporarily amplify your surroundings using a feature called live listening.
It allows your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to act as a microphone that sends audio to your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or Powerbeats Pro, helping you hear conversations in noisy areas or hear someone talking across the room.
To use this feature, your device must be running iOS or iPadOS 14.3 or later.
First, add Live Listen to your device’s Control Center by going to Settings> Control Center. Next, tap the Add button next to the Audition button, and finally, tap Settings to save your changes.
When you want to use the feature, all you need to do is open Control Center, tap the listen icon, and then tap Live Listen. Position your device in front of the person you want to hear more clearly, adjusting your device’s volume if necessary. You will even be able to see the audio levels from your headphones in real time and see detailed decibel information as you listen.
