How to test your hearing with AirPods and an iPhone?

Since October 2024, Apple has offered AirPods Pro 2 owners the opportunity to test their ears to identify possible hearing loss. This is the brand’s first health initiative with its wireless headphones.

Alongside the announcement of the iPhone 16, Apple announced plans in September 2024 to turn AirPods Pro into hearing aids. The brand, which has recruited several doctors specializing in ears, has two objectives:

Integrate a medical grade hearing test into your headphones, to encourage people who would not dare to go to a specialized center to test their ears.
Transform your AirPods Pro into sophisticated hearing aids to improve hearing for people with a loss.

The technology has been available on AirPods Pro 2 headphones since the iOS 18.1 update on iPhone.

How to perform the AirPods Pro hearing test in France?

In France, the hearing features of AirPods Pro 2 are not officially available. Apple is waiting for the green light from European health authorities to deploy them, even if it is possible to trigger the test manually (but not yet to activate the help).

Normally, the hearing test is accessible from the AirPods settings or from the Health application. This is not the case in France, but simply enter the address below in Safari to open the dedicated page in the Health application. Make sure you’re running at least iOS 18.1, with up-to-date AirPods Pro 2 in your ears, for the test to be available:

x-apple-health://HearingAppPlugin.healthplugin/HearingTest

Small barely audible noises

Then Apple will prepare you for the test. You will need to insert the AirPods Pro 2 into your ears with the correct size tips, to ensure that the sound is well isolated. The brand will also tell you not to take the test if you are returning from a concert or if you have a cold/allergy, as your ears may be congested.

The test is very simple, although it requires a lot of concentration. Each ear will be tested independently, with sounds of different frequencies. As soon as you hear something, even if it’s very faint, tap the screen. After 5 minutes, a report will be produced in PDF format. It can be passed on to a healthcare professional.

Apple’s hearing test interface. The results then appear in the Health app. // Source: Numerama

The issue of ear health could become a priority in the future, as our poor sound habits could accelerate hearing loss. A large number of people with hearing loss are unaware of it and suffer from isolation and discomfort. Identifying the problem, then correcting it with hearing aids, could change lives.

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For the moment, you can only access the hearing test from France. When hearing aid mode is deployed, people with diminished hearing will be able to use their AirPods Pro 2 to compensate for the loss… provided they are not afraid to wear them all day (and recharge them every 5 hours). In the event of a serious problem, it is obviously recommended to visit a healthcare professional.