{"id":8921,"date":"2024-12-03T10:28:03","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T10:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8921"},"modified":"2024-12-03T10:28:05","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T10:28:05","slug":"are-you-in-the-uk-and-looking-at-using-apple-airpods-pro-2-as-hearing-aids-read-this-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/12\/are-you-in-the-uk-and-looking-at-using-apple-airpods-pro-2-as-hearing-aids-read-this-first.htm","title":{"rendered":"Are you in the UK and looking at using Apple AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids? Read this first!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’m sorry for the clickbait headline, but the urgency is real, because I’m seeing people making purchasing decisions based on a technical feature that’s not available in the UK yet.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re a middle-aged man or woman, you may have noticed that it’s difficult to hear people in some social situations. I certainly have, and so have some of my friends. Generally in pubs and bars with hard surfaces and lots of background noise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell myself that I need to get a professional hearing test. I keep trying at Specsavers when I have my eyes tested but have struggled with appointment availability. And anyway, it’s not that bad. Plus I don’t have a couple of thousand pounds ready for buying hearing aids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple is bringing Hearing Health capabilities to the masses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I heard that Apple AirPods Pro 2 have hearing aid capabilities, I was very interested. A consumer tech device that might help me in those limited circumstances when I need to wear a hearing aid, without the financial outlay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s been possible to create an audiogram and use it with your AirPods (or other headphones) for a while, but there’s lots of excitement as Apple is bringing Hearing Health capabilities natively to the iPhone with iOS18 and with AirPods Pro 2<\/a>. But, if you’re in the UK, you might want to hold off…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the problem: AirPods Pro 2 do not yet have regulatory approval as hearing aids in the UK.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They do in many other countries, but not here. Not at the time of researching this post in late-November 2024. But there is a global website, and a global ad campaign. Apple even says in the notes for this ad that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are regulated health features that require approval and will be offered after authorization is received. Feature availability varies by region” <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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