AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are the only AirPods that run Apple’s three hearing health features: a Hearing Test, a Hearing Aid feature that Apple says has received FDA authorization, and Hearing Protection for loud places. This guide explains each AirPods Pro hearing aid feature in Apple’s terms, which used AirPods support it, what you need to set it up, and what to check before buying a used pair. It’s product information drawn from Apple and the FDA, not medical advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 support Apple’s Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection features, with the latest firmware and an iPhone or iPad running current software. Apple says the Hearing Aid feature is intended for people 18 or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. Used AirPods Pro 2 averaged about $109 on Swappa in early October 2026 and AirPods Pro 3 about $176. First-gen AirPods Pro, standard AirPods and AirPods Max don’t get these features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shop AirPods Pro 3 on Swappa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple describes the three features as one hearing health experience on AirPods Pro: you take a test, use the results to set up hearing assistance, and get protection from loud noise along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple calls it a scientifically validated, clinical-grade hearing test you can take at home in about five minutes with your AirPods Pro and an iPhone or iPad. It plays tones from 250 Hz to 8 kHz, and you tap the screen when you hear each one. Apple’s Hearing Test article<\/a> explains the results in dBHL:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The results include an audiogram that’s stored in the Health app, and Apple says you can share it with a healthcare provider. Apple’s own footnote is clear that the Hearing Test “is not a substitute for seeking medical advice from a healthcare practitioner.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hearing Aid feature<\/a> is a clinical-grade, over-the-counter hearing aid built into the AirPods software, intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. It uses your Hearing Test results, or an audiogram from a hearing healthcare professional, to adjust sound to your hearing. Apple says it amplifies the sounds around you in Transparency mode, and a related setting, Media Assist<\/strong>, adjusts music, video and calls across all listening modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FDA authorized it<\/a> on September 12, 2024, as the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device, for adults 18 or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment. The FDA says a study of 118 people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss found that people who set it up themselves reported similar perceived benefit to those who had a professional fit it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two details matter for daily use. Apple stores your Hearing Aid settings on the AirPods, so they keep working when your iPhone isn’t nearby. And with AirPods Pro 2 or later on iOS 26, Conversation Boost<\/strong> turns on automatically with Hearing Aid, adding amplification with background noise reduction in louder places like restaurants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hearing Protection<\/a> reduces loud environmental noise and is on by default in every listening mode. Noise Cancellation gives steady protection, while Transparency and Adaptive raise it as your surroundings get louder. Apple says the actual reduction depends on how well your AirPods fit, how loud it is and which mode you use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It has limits. Apple says Hearing Protection isn’t suitable for extremely loud impulse sounds such as gunfire, fireworks or jackhammers, or for sustained sounds louder than 110 dBA. It also turns off when the AirPods are out of charge, in Off mode, or when Loud Sound Reduction is turned off in Accessibility settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple’s support pages and AirPods comparison page<\/a> limit the Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection to AirPods Pro 2 and later. Average sale prices are from Swappa’s price pages, updated October 7, 2026, and they move with condition and case type.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat the AirPods Hearing Features Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hearing Test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Hearing Aid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hearing Protection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Which AirPods Support Hearing Aid and Hearing Test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n