According to a source, iOS 18 will bring a new “hearing aid mode” for AirPods Pro

These days, AirPods come with a number of capabilities pertaining to accessibility and hearing health. However, according to a recent source, Apple has huge plans for iOS 18, including adding a new “hearing aid mode” for the AirPods Pro.

iOS 18 and the AirPods Pro

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, there won’t be any hardware updates for the AirPods Pro in 2024. This is stated in the most recent edition of his Power On newsletter. Rather, he states that “a major new hearing aid mode, coming alongside iOS 18,” will be the main announcement.

Live Listen is an existing feature of AirPods that was introduced with iOS 12 in 2018. With the use of this capability, an iPhone may effectively be used as a directional microphone, sending audio recordings to AirPods in real time. A handful of testimonials over the years have shown how useful this feature can be.

In order to improve your ability to hear someone speaking to you, Apple has added a Conversation Boost feature to the AirPods Pro in 2021. This feature increases mic pickup from the straight front of the device. According to a 2022 study, several of the current functions of the AirPods Pro are currently on par with those of far more costly specialized gadgets.

Notable also is the FDA’s 2022 establishment of new regulations for the sale of a particular class of hearing aids over the counter. This type of hearing aids can be purchased straight from manufacturers at retail establishments or online without requiring a medical examination or an audiologist fitting.

It’s unclear what exactly this new iOS 18 functionality for owners of AirPods Pro entails. However, Gurman has already written about Apple’s intentions to add new hearing health capabilities to AirPods. He revealed last year that Apple was developing a hearing test function for upcoming AirPods.